4 players who could replace Noelvi Marte on the Reds Opening Day roster & 2 who won't

Tony Kemp still has a chance to join the Reds roster

Kemp was last-minute addition to the Reds roster this spring, but that's the same way that Brandon Drury landed in Cincinnati on Opening Day two years. Drury then went on to hit a three-run homer during the first game of the season agains the defending champion Atlanta Braves, was traded midseason, and parlayed his breakout campaign into a multi-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

It seems unlikely that Kemp would follow the same path, but his reverse splits from 2023 offer the Reds a glimpse of the type of role he could fill in 2024. If Kemp's bat comes alive over the final few weeks of spring, don't discount his ability to make the team.

Mike Ford is a sneaky name to watch as Opening Day gets closer

While he can play first base, realistically Ford is little more than a designated hitter. But without Marte on the roster, the trio of Candelario, Encarnacion-Strand, and India won't see as many reps at DH as originally assumed.

That opens the door for the left-handed hitting Ford to steal the final roster spot away during the last weeks of spring training. The 31-year-old posted a 123 wRC+ last season according to FanGraphs and has had consistent success against left-handed hitting throughout his career.

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