3 Reds players still in danger of losing their roster spot at the non-tender deadline

The deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft has come and gone. The Cincinnati Reds made the decision to add six players, including Elly De La Cruz, to the 40-man roster.

In addition, six players were also removed from the roster. Outfielder Aristides Aquino and right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman were among the players designated for assignment on Tuesday.

With the current Reds roster sitting at 40, any moves the front office may want to make (including adding a backup catcher and an outfielder) would require an additional roster spot to open up. Friday is the non-tender deadline. Which three Reds players are still in danger of losing their roster spot?

1. The Reds could still non-tender RHP Ian Gibaut.

Ian Gibaut pitched a total of 34.2 innings for the Cincinnati Reds in 2022. Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians midway through the season, the hard-throwing right-hander found a home in the Reds bullpen.

Gibaut slowly gained the trust of manager David Bell, and while the 28-year-old never really saw time late in games, he was entrusted to go more than one inning on several occasions last year. But there are some flaws with Gibaut's resumé.

Gibaut has a good one-two punch with his fastball and slider and posted a 31.2% strikeout-rate. But his walk-rate (11.7%) was higher than you'd like to see as was his .279 batting average against.

Gibaut is also out of minor league options. That may work in his favor, as the Reds are likely to feel more compelled to keep the right-hander on next year's Opening Day roster. However, the lack of options gives the Reds, well, fewer options.

When making these types of decisions, the Cincinnati Reds need to decide whether or not they view Ian Gibaut as a key piece of the next competitive squad or is he just a bridge to the 2024 season? If it's the latter, Gibaut could be non-tender candidate.