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

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.