Cincinnati Reds: 3 prospects who should be added to the roster

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CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 14: A close up view of a hat and baseball glove in the dugout with the New Era logo before a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

The Reds have plenty of space on their 40-man roster heading into the offseason.

The Cincinnati Reds have an abundance of space on their 40-man roster as the team has outrighted pitcher Joel Kuhnel and seen shortstop Freddy Galvis, and pitchers Trevor Bauer, Tyler Thornburg, and Anthony DeSclafani enter free agency. Which three prospects should be added to the team’s 40-man roster in the coming weeks?

The economics facing Major League Baseball this next season will certainly be felt by the Reds and every other team this offseason. Without gate revenue in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, general managers and owners are likely to tighten the belt rather than spend exorbitant amounts of money this winter.

As such, it’s likely that Cincinnati may look to their minor leaguers rather than free agency to fill out their 40-man roster. Rather than signing a veteran like Did Gregorius or Marcus Semien, the Reds may dip into their farm system to find a suitable shortstop to act as a stopgap option until José García is ready to take over the position.

So, which three prospects may find their way onto the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster? Remember, just because a player is added to the big league roster does not mean that he will find his way onto the field on Opening Day. The Reds also have some decisions regarding a few players that eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Will any of them be added to the roster as well?

PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 16: Alfredo Rodriguez #3 of the Scottsdale Scorpions and Cincinnati Reds in action during the 2018 Arizona Fall League. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Alfredo Rodriguez, Shortstop

The Cincinnati Reds need to upgrade the shortstop position heading into the 2021 season. While free agents like Didi Gregorius and Marcus Semien may pique the interest of the Cincinnati front office, their abilities come with a price tag. Adding Alfredo Rodriguez to the 40-man roster would offer the Reds another option at shortstop until José García’s bat catches up to his glove.

To be fair, it’s not as though Rodriguez has an advanced bat. However he did make some improvements in 2019. After failing to hit above .253 during his first three professional seasons, Rodriguez slashed .267/.314/.327 while splitting time between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville.

Rodriguez will always be a glove-first shortstop, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Cincinnati’s infield defense was not very good at all last season. Eugenio Suárez and Joey Votto both had five errors apiece and Freddy Galvis accounted for three miscues. While his defense is certainly above-average, even García committed two errors in limited playing time during the 2020 season.

Alfredo Rodriguez was left off the 40-man roster last season, but no team selected the shortstop as part of the Rule 5 Draft. That may not be the case this offseason as teams will be looking to fill holes while not spending a lot of cash. Cincinnati should add Rodriguez to the roster in the coming weeks.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (79) leads for a catch during practice.Reds Spring Training /

2. TJ Friedl, Reds outfielder

TJ Friedl has been part of the Cincinnati Reds organization for some time now. Ranked the team’s No. 21 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Friedl was exposed to the Rule 5 Draft last offseason, but no one took a flyer on the young outfielder. With so many teams looking to cut costs this winter, that may not be the case. If the Reds want to keep Friedl in their system, he needs to be added to the roster.

The 25-year-old Friedl was not drafted, but rather found his way to the Reds organization as an undrafted free agent. In fact, Friedl holds the record for the largest bonus ($732,500) ever doled out to an undrafted free agent. Friedl was a walk-on at the University of Nevada and finished with a .401 batting average during his junior year and nine triples.

Friedl certainly would have began the 2020 minor league season at Double-A Chattanooga with an opportunity to advance to Triple-A. During his two seasons at Double-A, Friedl hit .257/.353/.372 with 21 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs.

Yes, I know the Cincinnati Reds have plethora of outfielders on the team, but if Travis Jankowksi can find a spot, why not TJ Friedl? An injury cost Friedl a majority of his 2019, and while not a power hitter, Friedl gets on base with an above-average glove and plus-speed. Friedl is not an everyday player but would be a solid option as the team’s fourth outfielder.

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 23: Starting pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez #76 of the Cincinnati Reds throws. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

3. Vladimir Gutiérrez, Reds pitcher

This is it for Vladimir Gutiérrez. The right-hander signed for nearly $5M during the fall of 2016, but a series of events have led to this offseason being a make-or-break campaign for the Reds No. 17 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. During the 2019 season, Gutiérrez posted a 6.04 ERA and 1.401 WHIP while appearing in 27 starts for Triple-A Louisville.

In June, Gutiérrez was suspended for 80 games by MLB for PED use. After finding that Gutiérrez tested for using Stanozolol, he was left off the team’s 60-man player pool and didn’t get any work at the Cincinnati Reds alternate site in Mason, Ohio.

Gutiérrez will have to serve his suspension in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic eliminating the 2020 minor league season. To say that Gutiérrez’s future is up in the air would be an understatement. Without any progression in 2020 following an underwhelming 2019 season while staring down an 80-game suspension, Gutiérrez has the deck stacked against him.

Next. Reds could explore these additions at 1B

Still, there was something that the Reds scouts saw from Gutiérrez back in 2016 that led to the team giving him the equivalent of first-round bonus money. Gutiérrez has a lively fastball and a plus-changeup. Will the Reds give him an opportunity or is it too late for the 25-year-old native of Cuba?

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