Cincinnati Reds: 3 players who won’t be back in 2021

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CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 12: Travis Jankowski #31 of the Cincinnati Reds slides headfirst into third base. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The Reds need to upgrade some areas this offseason.

There’s an old saying that goes something along the lines of, “addition by subtraction.” Essentially, the suggestion is that a team, business or organization will improve by removing something or someone from it. The Cincinnati Reds will return the majority of their 2020 roster next season, but these three players should not be part of the equation.

We all know that Trevor Bauer, Anthony DeSclafani and Freddy Galvis are free agents heading into the winter. Of the three, Bauer may be the most likely to return, but it’s going to cost a lot to keep the right-hander in Cincinnati. Both DeSclafani and Galvis look to be headed elsewhere once free agency opens up.

However, aside from those three players, the Reds may need to unload a few others in order to improve the team’s roster heading into next year. After all, Cincinnati finished dead-last in Major League Baseball in batting average, and the team’s defense left a lot to the imagination. Surely, the front office will be looking to add some more pieces before the start of 2021.

But any addition to the 40-man roster requires a corresponding move. We saw several players yo-yo between Great American Ball Park and Prasco Park last season in an effort to get the best 28 players on the field. While it’s never easy to move on from certain players, it’s time for the Cincinnati Reds to dismiss the following three players before Opening Day of 2021.

CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 18: Robert Stephenson #55 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts during team scrimmage (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Robert Stephenson, Reds relief pitcher

It’s very hard to Robert Stephenson’s name atop the list of players who ought not return in 2021, but I think that’s where you have to start. Stephenson has been given more than his fair share of opportunities to carve out a spot on this team, and his underwhelming performance in 2020 cannot be ignored.

Stephenson was the Reds most improved player in 2019. The right-hander went from first-round bust to a reliable arm at the back-end of bullpen. Stephenson held onto a spot in 2019 by the skin of his teeth. Having no minor league options remaining, the Reds held onto Stephenson, ended his time as a starting pitcher and inserted him into the bullpen.

The results speak for themselves. In 2019, Robert Stephenson put up a career-best 3.76 ERA, 125 ERA+ and a 1.036 WHIP. Next to Michael Lorenzen and Amir Garrett, Stephenson was the most reliable arm in the Cincinnati pen. Oh, what a difference a year makes.

This season, Bob Steve only competed in 10 games. He posted a 9.90 ERA, 43 ERA+ and a WHIP of 1.400. Now it’s a bit difficult to make a judgment based on just 10 appearances, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt in a 60-game season. Plus, Stephenson spent a considerable amount of time on the injured list as well.

Stephenson’s strikeout-rate, according to FanGraphs, remained about the same. It was 30.9%, a career-high, in 2019 and 30.2% this season. Even his walk-rate, which Stephenson was able to lower dramatically from 2018 (19.0%) to 2019 (9.2%), was solid at 7.0%. But Stephenson’s eight home runs surrendered in 10 innings pitched cannot be ignored. Adios, Bob Steve.

CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 27: Curt Casali #12 of the Cincinnati Reds works behind the plate. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Curt Casali, Reds catcher

Now, as hard as it was to put Robert Stephenson on this list, it pains me greatly to put Curt Casali‘s name alongside it. However, Casali’s inclusion has nothing to do with his lack of performance. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s time for the Cincinnati Reds to sell-high on Casali with the emerging Tyler Stephenson ready to become a fixture in the lineup.

Casali is a solid big-league catcher. The Reds fleeced the Tampa Bay Rays, which is something that cannot be said very often, when the front office landed Casali in 2018 for cash. Since joining the team, Casali has developed a phenomenal relationship with the pitching staff, and I firmly believe that he’s one of the reasons behind the success of the Reds pitching over the past two years.

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That said, his time in Cincinnati is about up. Tyler Stephenson is the future behind the plate, and both Casali and Tucker Barnhart know it. By the way, you could just as easily put Tucker Barnhart’s name in place of Curt Casali’s, but there are two big reasons that I’d lean toward the Reds keeping Barnhart over Casali.

First, Barnhart is the superior defensive catcher. Taking nothing away from Casali, but Tucker Barnhart is a Gold Glove-caliber backstop and he may well take home another piece of hardware for his performance this season. He’s that good.

Second, Casali is right-handed hitter and so is Stephenson. With David Bell’s penchant for playing the lefty versus righty matchups, it makes more sense for Cincinnati to hang onto the left-handed hitting Barnhart. Curt Casali is a solid catcher, and the Reds would do well to shop him this offseason.

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 11: Nicky Lopez #1 of the Kansas City Royals turns a double play over the slide by Travis Jankowski #31 of the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

3. Travis Jankowski, Reds outfielder

I really don’t know how much I have to expound upon this, but Travis Jankowski has no business on the field for the Cincinnati Reds next season. To be quite honest, he had no business on the field for the Cincinnati Reds this season either. We’re talking about a player who has a lifetime batting average of .238. Need I say more?

While I think that in and of itself is enough to say sayonara to Mr. Jankowski, here are a few other reasons. He played in just 16 games and made just 16 at-bats, successfully snagging only one hit. Jankowski’s OPS in 2020 was -32. Do I need to keep going?

Jankowski was little more than a pinch runner, which will not be highly sought after in 2021. The 2020 season provided a few rule changes that benefited Travis Jankowski. Namely, starting extra innings with a runner on second base. However, the Reds only played two extra-inning games during the regular season.

Finally, the Cincinnati Reds outfield is overflowing with talent. All signs point to Nick Castellanos staying in Cincinnati next season, meaning the Reds will have five players vying for three spots. They don’t have need for a sixth outfielder on the 2021 roster. Goodbye, Travis Jankowski.

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The Reds made some solid roster additions last offseason with the additions with the signings of Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama and Mike Moustakas. This offseason, Cincinnati’s front office might do better by removing a few players from the 40-man roster and adding players from within the organization.

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