Reds: 3 players who won’t make the Opening Day roster but will contribute

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Cincinnati Reds center fielder Mark Payton (34) catches a fly ball in the second inning. /

Mark Payton, Reds outfielder

The best offensive performance all spring belongs to outfielder Mark Payton. Whether you realize it or not, Payton is swinging one hot bat. Last year’s Rule 5 draftee is slashing .476/.577/.857 with two doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs in 21 at-bats. We mentioned Phillip Ervin earlier, and Payton’s performance is eerily similar to what we saw from Mr. Magic in 2019.

Ervin, a former first-round pick of the Reds, was cut loose last summer following an unproductive 2020 season. However, during Cactus League play back in 2019, Ervin slashed .341/.438/.780 with three doubles, five home runs, and eight RBIs. Ervin was left off the Opening Day roster.

But, Ervin got the call to be the team’s 26th man during the Reds series in Mexico versus the St. Louis Cardinals and eventually carved out a nice 2019 season, hitting .271/.331/.466 and made the Opening Day roster the following season.

I project a similar result for Mark Payton. Payton was taken in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft by the Reds, but returned to the Oakland A’s before the start of the season only to wind back up in Cincinnati via trade. It’s obvious that David Bell and the Reds brass like Payton’s skillset. He’s a versatile defender with power from the left-side of the plate and has adequate speed as well.

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Payton has been the most surprising player in Reds camp, and were he on a team that was in the process of rebuilding, the 28-year-old would likely be in the starting lineup one Opening Day. Such as it is, Cincinnati has a full complement of outfielders and is looking to compete for a division crown. Payton will see time in the bigs this season, it just won’t be on April 1st.

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