3 Reds who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster

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Spots on the 40-man roster are extremely valuable. But unless the Cincinnati Reds make another major-league addition this offseason, it's unlikely fans will see any subtractions from the 40-man roster before Opening Day. But that doesn't mean that everyone currently occupying a spot on roster is deserving of it.

Every year there are a handful of players who enter spring training with one last chance to make an impression on the front office, the manager, and the coaching staff. Typically, these players have been on the fringe of the roster for quite some time, have run out of minor league options, or represent a journeyman who's clinging to the hope of one more year in the big leagues.

But the Reds began their 40-man roster purge earlier this offseason after non-tendering players like Nick Senzel and Derek Law. The Reds also refused to pick up Joey Votto's club-option. With several talented players receiving non-roster invites to Goodyear this month, it's only a matter of time before these three players are handed their walking papers.

Nick Martini, Outfielder

Nick Martini has value. The veteran provided two clutch moments during the Cincinnati Reds run last season, and has been rewarded for his performance and leadership by maintaining a 40-man roster spot throughout the offseason. But Martini represents a redundancy on the Reds roster.

Though he can play first base, Martini's primary duties will either be in the outfield or acting as the Reds designated hitter. Martini is a left-handed batter, and the Reds already have a roster chock-full of such players. Jake Fraley, Will Benson, and TJ Friedl should all be getting at-bats ahead of Martini. An argument could even be made for non-roster invitee Conner Capel and prospect Jacob Hurtubise.

The Reds made a mistake last month when they signed Brent Suter to a major league deal and decided to hold on to Martini over Daniel Duarte. Cincinnati designated Duarte for assignment and later traded him to the Texas Rangers. Duarte has since been DFA'd by Texas. An opportunity to re-sign the right-handed reliever to a minor-league deal fell apart after the Minnesota Twins claimed Duarte offer waivers.

This is not to suggest that Nick Martini is a bad player or that he shouldn't be given an opportunity to have a role in the organization, but the 33-year-old does not belong on the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster.

Jose Barrero, Shortstop

There's one reason that Jose Barrero is still on the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster; they haven't found a trade partner yet. The future for Barrero in Cincinnati looks eerily similar to what the fanbase saw from former first-round draft pick Nick Senzel.

While the circumstances are different, the story is still the same. Senzel came in as a highly-touted prospect, struggled to stay on the field, and eventually lost his starting job and was let go this offseason. Barrero was also a highly-regarded prospect, struggled to make contact at the major league level, and his starting job now belongs to Elly De La Cruz.

Not only did Barrero lose the starting shortstop spot to De La Cruz, but both Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte will get the nod at shortstop before Barrero is given another crack. Even top infield prospect Edwin Arroyo is likely to receive reps at spring training after receiving a non-roster invite. Barrero was optioned to Triple-A Louisville midway through the 2023 season and never returned.

The writing is on the wall, and has been for some time. While fans are free to argue about whether or not Jose Barrero received a legitimate chance to prove himself at the major league level, the fact remains that the Cincinnati Reds have already moved on. Barrero is out of minor-league options and it's only a matter of time before he loses his 40-man roster spot.

Levi Stoudt, Right-handed pitcher

Levi Stoudt certainly wasn't a "throw-in" when the Cincinnati Reds swung a deal with the Seattle Mariners at the 2022 trade deadline. The Reds and Mariners pulled off a blockbuster trade that summer that saw Luis Castillo sent to Seattle in exchange for Stoudt, Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, and Andrew Moore.

While Stoudt has received little more than a cup of coffee in the major leagues, his minor league performance hasn't been anything to write home about either. Stoudt pitched in four for the Reds in 2023, but he was able to log over 80 innings in the minors last season as well. Neither one paints a rosy picture.

In four major league outings, two of which were spot starts, Stoudt logged just over 10 innings of work and allowed 11 earned runs. His 9.58 ERA is unsightly, but that's a small sample size. In over 80 innings at Triple-A Louisville, however, Stoudt posted a 6.23 ERA in 25 appearances, including 19 starts and he walked 50 batters.

Stoudt's 13-percent walk-rate for the Louisville Bats last season is deeply concerning. Couple that with the fact that the 26-year-old struck out just 6.34 batters per nine innings pitched, and Stoudt is on very shaky ground ahead of a crucial spring training for the former Mariners' farmhand.

The Cincinnati Reds have some very talented young pitchers in the farm system, and a few will be part of major league camp this spring. Stoudt has a few short weeks to prove himself during Cactus League play or he could quickly be relieved of his spot on the Reds 40-man roster.

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