Cincinnati Reds: 3 players who should be non-tendered this offseason

Might the Reds move on from these three players before their salaries increase?

The non-tender deadline this winter is December 2nd, so the Cincinnati Reds have until then to decide whether or not they’d like to extend contracts to their nine arbitration-eligible players. The team has already outrighted four players (Matt Davidson, Travis Jankowski, Jesse Biddle and Matt Bowman). Might the Reds non-tender a few more players this winter?

According to MLB.com, to tender a contract to a player is to agree to give a contract for the upcoming season to a player who is under club control. The Reds have nine arbitration eligible players on the roster. Jesse Winker, Archie Bradley, Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, Michael Lorenzen and Amir Garrett are among those eligible to be tendered a contact this offseason.

There is a second group of players who can be non-tendered as well. Any player who is pre-arbitration eligible must be tendered a contract, however, unlike those players who are arbitration eligible, that group of players have no say in their forthcoming salary. That group would include the likes of Nick Senzel, Aristides Aquino, Lucas Sims and Tejay Antone.

It’s a more likely to see players from the group of names who are arbitration-eligible to be non-tendered rather than those who are pre-arbitration eligible. Non-tendering arbitration-eligible players is typically for financial reasons, while non-tendering those players who are pre-arbitration eligible is more about roster size and flexibility.

Over the past two offseason, we’ve seen the Reds non-tender the likes of Billy Hamilton and José Peraza. Will the list be long or short this season? Which players may fall victim to the dreaded “non-tender” designation. Let’s look at a few players who might get the axe before December 2nd.

1. Brian Goodwin, Reds outfielder

Yes, I know that Brian Goodwin just arrived at the trade deadline last season, but it’s hard for me to get excited about a rotational outfielder. I also think it would be ludicrous for the Reds front office to dole out the estimated $2.7M-$3.6M it would likely take to keep Goodwin on the 40-man roster.

Goodwin was traded from the Los Angeles Angels this past summer in exchange for pitching prospects Packy Naughton and Jose Salvador. Naughton was one of the more highly-rated prospects in the Cincinnati farm system, but the majority of spots in the Reds rotation appear to be claimed for the foreseeable future. That made Naughton expendable.

Goodwin was brought in with the idea of him giving the Reds a boost at the plate while also providing solid defense across all three outfield positions. This move was also made while second-year outfielder Nick Senzel was on the injured list. The Reds were “all-in” last season and the addition of Goodwin was a desperate attempt to improve the hitting via an in-season trade.

It didn’t really work out as Cincinnati had hoped, as in 55 plate appearances Goodwin hit just .163/.236/.327 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. The Cincinnati Reds should be able to receive similar production from last year’s Rule 5 draftee Mark Payton. Payton will make the league minimum next season and would save the Reds at least $2M.

A left-handed rotational outfielder like Brian Goodwin is necessary. However, not with the price tag that he’ll command in 2021. The Reds also have young prospects like TJ Friedl and Andy Sugilio in their farm system. Both could offer similar production to what Goodwin put up throughout his major league career.

3. R.J. Alaniz, Reds pitcher

I think the remainder of the Cincinnati Reds players who arbitration-eligible this offseason will be on the team once spring training rolls around. There’s an outside chance that a player like Curt Casali or Jesse Winker is traded this winter, but I fully expect both to be tendered a contract before the December 2nd deadline.

That brings us to the group of individuals who are pre-arbitration eligible. These players have fewer than three years of major league experience and will receive the league minimum this coming year. R.J. Alaniz is currently on the Reds 40-man roster, but I doubt that will be the case come December 3rd.

Ridding themselves of Matt Davidson, Travis Jankowski and Jesse Biddle, the Cincinnati Reds now have 37 players on their 40-man roster. Matt Bowman was also outrighted, but was on the injured list so he didn’t count against the team’s 40-man roster.

The Reds also have three free agents in Trevor Bauer, Tyler Thornburg and Freddy Galvis. Nick Castellanos can opt out of his contract as well. In short, after the World Series, the Reds 40-man roster could stand at 35 and perhaps even 34 players (Thornburg is currently on the 60-day injured list as well).

So why bump R.J. Alaniz from the 40-man roster? For starters, his 9.19 career-ERA is nothing spectacular. Second, the Cincinnati Reds may well add a free agent or two, plus the likes of Vladimir Gutierrez, Jared Solomon, TJ Friedl and Riley O’Brien would need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.

Alaniz may not be the only pre-arbitration player at risk of losing his spot. Joel Kuhnel, José De León, Sal Romano and Mark Payton may also be on the chopping block. Cincinnati Reds fans will eagerly be anticipating the December 2nd deadline when major league teams must tender offers.