3 Reds players who won't be non-tendered, but will eventually lose their roster spot

The non-tender deadline represents an opportunity for teams to sever ties with players on the 40-man roster rather than offering them a contract for the 2024 season.

While some players are non-tendered due to poor performance or a roster crunch, more times than not it comes down to money. That's the biggest reason Reds fans will likely seen Nick Senzel non-tendered later today.

There are those fringe-players who will retain their roster spot, but will undoubtedly be on thin-ice as the offseason continues to unfold. Which three Cincinnati Reds players won't be non-tendered today, but eventually lose their offseason roster spot?

1. Reds OF Bubba Thompson will have a hard time holding on to his roster spot

Bubba Thompson, we hardly knew ye. Thompson was added to the Cincinnati Reds roster this offseason after being designated for assignment. While it's unlikely the Reds will non-tender Thompson today, his roster spot is anything but secure.

Thompson provides a ton of speed. According to Baseball Savant, the 25-year-old was in the same category as Elly De La Cruz when it comes to sprint speed. Thompson averaged over 30.4 feet per second on the base paths.

But getting on base has been a problem for Thompson. In 241 career plate appearances in the majors, Thompson's posted an on-base percentage below .300. There's also very little power in his bat, as evidence by his .305 career-slugging percentage.

The Cincinnati Reds outfield is filled with a bevy of role players. Stuart Fairchild, Jake Fraley, TJ Hopkins, and Will Benson all have speed, and a better bat than Bubba Thompson.

It's very likely that Thompson makes it past the non-tender deadline, and could very well wind up in Goodyear this spring. But don't be shocked if a few trades or free agent signings require Thompson to give up his spot on the Reds 40-man roster.

3. Reds SS Jose Barrero will still be on shaky ground after the non-tender deadline

Some Reds fans believe it's already time for the Cincinnati Reds to part ways with Jose Barrero, but there's no financial incentive to do so. With Nick Senzel rumored to be non-tendered later today, the Reds may want to hang on to Barrero for added depth.

Barrero has struggled to hit major league pitching; there's no doubt about that. But Barrero has fewer than 150 games played in the bigs and only 447 career-plate appearances. So while Barrero has failed to gain any sort of traction, let's not pretend that he's actually received a fair shake.

Reds fans have watched Senzel scuffle through injuries and poor performances for five seasons, and the team is just now looking to part company with the former first-round pick. Barrero will likely be given a similar stretch of time before the Reds finally wave goodbye.

However, the Reds have a tremendous amount of depth with Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer, and Matt McLain all possessing the ability to play up the middle of the infield.

If the Cincinnati Reds have the opportunity to trade Jose Barrero, they should certainly pull the trigger on any deal. But that seems unlikely to materialize after watching Barrero post strikeout-rates above 30-percent.

Barrero will be walking a tight rope throughout the offseason, and any free agent signing this offseason could result in a correspondng move that sees the 25-year-old designated for assignment.

In the end, Jose Barrero may reach Goodyear as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, but there are hurdles he'll have to clear. All signs point to Cincinnati keeping Barrero on the roster at the non-tender deadline, but his roster spot heading into the offseason is anything but secure.