Cincinnati Reds: Way-too-early roster projections for 2021 season

Who will be on the Reds Opening Day roster on April 1, 2021?

The Cincinnati Reds 2020 season came to an end in Atlanta on Thursday. The Reds dropped Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series to the Braves 5-0. While Cincinnati’s pitching was stellar in Games 1 and 2, the offense fell apart in the playoffs and failed to score a run. It’s never too early to look forward to next year, right? So, what will the Reds roster look like in 2021?

A quick peek at the Reds free agents to-be reveals a very short list. Likely NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer is the biggest name to enter the free agent market this offseason and he’ll likely be the most coveted pitcher available. Freddy Galvis and Anthony DeSclafani will also hit free agency this offseason, and Nick Castellanos can opt out of his contract.

Other than that, the core of this year’s team is under contract or team-control for the 2021 season. Several Reds player will enter their first year of arbitration eligibility, including Luis Castillo and Jesse Winker. Michael Lorenzen will be entering his final year of arbitration, and his future with the club could go a variety of different ways.

There’s also the matter of the collective bargaining agreement which expires after next season. Will the universal DH be in play next season, as that could greatly affect roster construction. Like we said, it’s early, but it’s always fun to look ahead. So, let’s take a way-too-early look at what the 2021 Cincinnati Reds roster might look like.