3 Reds players who should be cut before Opening Day, but won't be

We're officially less than two weeks away from Opening Day and the Cincinnati Reds roster is beginning to take shape.

Recently, some of the organizations top prospects were reassigned to minor-league camp, a signal that the youth-movement won't begin on March 30th. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand will have to wait a little longer before making their big league debuts.

But, as is oftentimes the case, the Reds are not necessarily including the best 26 players. Which three players should be cut before Opening Day, but won't be?

1. Reds IF/ OF Chad Pinder should be cut before Opening Day, but won't be.

Keeping Chad Pinder certainly isn't the worst decision, and there is merit to it because the Cincinnati Reds have deciding to carry three catchers on the 26-man roster. Were Nick Senzel healthy, it's very likely that this roster spot would belong to him and not Pinder.

With Luke Maile, Tyler Stephenson, and Curt Casali projected to be part of the Reds Opening Day roster, Cincinnati is going to need as much versatility on the roster as possible. Outside of Spencer Steer, the Reds are limited when it comes to versatile defenders, and even the former Minnesota farmhand is projected to spend most of his time at third base.

Pinder brings versatility to the Reds lineup, but is adding him to the 40-man roster really the best decision? Last season, Pinder posted an OPS of just .648 and, this spring, he has just three hits in 27 at-bats. Furthermore, his inclusion is only going to take away at-bats from players like Alejo Lopez, Stuart Fairchild, and Nick Solak.

It feels like a forgone conclusion that Chad Pinder will be part of the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster, and while the 30-year-old could be primed for a bounce-back year, with so many young players who could be part of the future, it just seems unnecessary to keep Pinder on the roster for what's likely to be no more than three-to-four months.