Cincinnati Reds: These players will get the final four spots on the roster

1. Cody Reed give the Reds another lefty out of the bullpen

Some people may have Cody Reed pegged as a lock, but I do not. Yes, it’s safe to assume that because Reed is the last remaining piece from the Johnny Cueto trade, the Reds have just one other left-hander (Amir Garrett) slated for the bullpen and he’s is out of options, the Memphis-native is certain to be on the 30-man roster. All those things are accurate, but Reed is not a lock.

Reed’s career-ERA of 5.42 and career-WHIP of 1.596 wouldn’t instill a lot of confidence in me if I were running the show. However, in his limited action last season, Cody Reed put up a 1.42 ERA through 6.1 innings of work and struck out seven batters. The lefty then suffered a knee injury and missed the remainder of the 2019 season.

This is Reed’s last chance. With Jesse Biddle reassigned to the alternate camp site yesterday, it’s safe to assume that the 28-year-old will not be part of Cincinnati’s Opening Day roster. I can’t see Josh D. Smith making the cut over Reed either. While there were times last season where David Bell went with just left-handed reliever, it wasn’t an ideal situation.

Cody Reed is a former second-round pick who has the talent to be a solid option for Bell out of the bullpen. Reed’s problem in the past has been his walk-rate, which dipped to an all-time low (4.0%) during his short stint at the bigs in 2019. While I don’t think it’s a guarantee, I’d say it’s a safe bet to include Cody Reed among those on the Opening Day roster.

2. Travis Jankowski’s speed sets him apart from anyone else on the Reds roster

Speed is an undervalued attribute in today’s game. No, we’re unlikely in the age of analytics to ever see a player steal over 100 bases in a season. For those of you who don’t remember, Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson did that three times in his career. However, Travis Jankowski is faster than any other player on the Reds; an asset that may help him make the team.

Yes, while it’s true that Jankowski profiles very similar to former Cincinnati Reds centerfielder Billy Hamilton, the way that David Bell might use Jankowski would bee very different. Hamilton was a rotational player occupying a starting position. Sure, his speed and defense were outstanding, but he couldn’t get on base. Jankowski has the same problem.

For his career, Travis Jankowski is a .241 hitter with a career on-base percentage of .317. Last season, however, Jankowski hit just .187 with a .250 OBP. That’s not going to get it done. But, with the new rules in place during the 2020 season, having a player with the speed of Jankowski could be of great benefit to the Reds.

In 2020, if a game goes into extra innings, each team will begin with a runner on second base. If Bell stationed Jankowski at second base to begin an inning, any ball that left the infield should be able to get the former San Diego Padre home. Jankowski should not be considered a starter, but a substitutional outfielder who’s speed could change the fortunes of the Reds late in games.

3. Matt Davidson offers the Reds a right-handed power bat off the bench

At the beginning of summer camp, I would not have pegged Matt Davidson to be among the finalist for a roster spot. But, here we are and I think he has a great chance to land on the Opening Day roster. Not only that, but Davidson could surprise a lot of folks and be the second bat off the bench; the first obviously being Phillip Ervin.

David Bell is all about playing the matchups. While some fans don’t like the analytical approach, it’s here to stay. What would the Reds lineup look like with a left-hander on the mound? Sure, Bell could keep Shogo Akiyama in the starting lineup, along with Joey Votto and Mike Moustakas, but you’d have to believe that Jesse Winker is coming out of the lineup.

Could Davidson be the team’s designated hitter when there’s a southpaw on the bump? Better yet, could Davidson give Votto the day off from first base and allow the six-time All-Star to slide into the role of DH? Ervin should undoubtedly be the first right-handed bat off the Reds bench, but Davidson offers much better numbers than Curt Casali, Alex Blandino and even Kyle Farmer.

Matt Davidson was even showing big during spring training. The 29-year-old went 6-for-18 (.333) with two home runs and five RBIs in 10 Cactus League games. With Aristides Aquino recently optioned to the alternate training site, if Cincinnati is looking for a right-handed power bat, they need look no further than Matt Davidson.

4. Alex Blandino brings the Reds defensive depth

This last spot could go any number of ways. Do the Reds want to keep Rule 5 draft pick Mark Payton in their organization? If so, he must remain on the active roster throughout the season. Do the Reds keep 15 or 16 position players? In the end, I think Alex Blandino will get the nod, as he provides depth at the team’s thinnest position; shortstop.

Yes, we’ve heard all throughout summer camp how David Bell has confidence in Kyle Farmer to play shortstop. While I believe that’s true, inserting Farmer as the team’s primary backup at shortstop removes him from taking over at second base, third base or behind the plate. Keeping Blandino on the roster give Bell options; especially in the early-going.

Don’t forget, after the first two weeks of the season, the rosters are reduced to just 28 players and then two weeks later we’re down to 26. I find it hard to believe that Cincinnati will bring on more than two players who don’t currently occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. If Nate Jones and Matt Davidson make the cut, two corresponding moves must happen as well.

Obviously, Mark Payton would be offered back to the Oakland Athletics, and prevailing wisdom would suggest that Scott Schebler will not be part of the 40-man roster by Opening Day. Any more additions to the 40-man roster, whether it’s David Carpenter, Sal Romano or Christian Colón, would require a player to be removed from the 40-man roster.

The Cincinnati Reds begin play on Friday at Great American Ball Park when the Detroit Tigers come to town. This year’s Opening Day will be unlike any we’ve ever seen before. A 60-game sprint for the postseason begin on July 24th. Go Reds!