3 Reds players who won't be on the roster by June 1st

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We're at about the halfway point for the month of June and the Cincinnati Reds have surprisingly remained somewhat relevant despite being smack-dab in the middle of a rebuild. Cincinnati is currently occupying fourth-place in the National League Central Division, a few games clear of the St. Louis Cardinals.

With several prospects down a Triple-A gaining steam, it feels like a few call-ups may be on the horizon. There've also been some subpar performances through the first month-plus of the 2023 season that may warrant a couple demotions.

Reds fans have already seen players like Jason Vosler, Luis Cessa, and Joel Kuhnel fall out of favor. Which three players will not be on the Reds roster once we hit June 1st?

1. Casey Legumina won't be on the Reds roster by June 1st.

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen, while much maligned this season, is actually much better than people think. On Thursday, manager David Bell basically snagged a win over the New York Mets by relying exclusively on his bullpen to get the job. The relief corps shutout the Mets while allowing just six hits and striking out nine batters.

But the life of a reliever is a fickle one, and with so many options, you have to figure that someone in that Reds bullpen won't be the roster a couple weeks from now. The most likely option would appear to be Casey Legumina who was acquired from the Minnesota Twins this past offseason.

Legumina's fastball is his best pitch. It has good movement, can touch the upper 90s, and he throws it with conviction. Unfortunately, Legumina has hit a bit of a speed bump lately. The right-hander had a rough outing in San Diego earlier this month and was roughed up by the Chicago White Sox during the Reds past homestand.

There are a few other relievers who could be in jeopardy of losing their spot in the bullpen as well, but Casey Legumina is a young pitcher who has minor-league options remaining. Unless he catches fire over the next week or so, don't be shocked if the 25-year-old winds up back at Triple-A Louisville before the month of May comes to a close.

2. Stuart Fairchild won't be on the Reds roster by June 1st.

This one could be a bit controversial, but if the Cincinnati Reds are going to begin calling up players, a few will be sent down. Stuart Fairchild seems to always make the most of his opportunities, however, those opportunities are few and far between.

You can probably pencil in Fairchild's name anytime there's a left-handed starter on the mound for the opposing team, but outside of that, it's rare to see the 27-year-old in the starting lineup. Even with Nick Senzel now getting more playing time on the infield, Fairchild still can't break into the everyday lineup.

Fairchild is barely hitting over .200, but does own an on-base percentage over .350. Fairchild has above-average speed, plays good defense, and has decent pop as well. He's a very good fourth outfielder.

But with Jake Fraley, Wil Myers, and TJ Friedl occupying the majority of time in the outfield, along with Henry Ramos seeing a considerable amount of playing time, it may be wise to option Fairchild back to the minors so he can get consistent, everyday at-bats.

Ramos' ability to hit from both sides of the plate probably gives him an edge over Fairchild when it comes to remaining on the big league roster. The 31-year-old has had similar success at the dish this season and has a good arm from the corner outfield. Look for Henry Ramos to stick around past May 31st, but Stuart Fairchild could make that 90-minute trek down I-71.

3. Jose Barrero won't be on the Reds roster by June 1st.

Matt McLain is coming. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And likely before June 1st. If that happens, one has to assume that McLain is going to log everyday reps, most likely at shortstop. With that, this could be the end of Jose Barrero's time with the big league club.

The Reds were obviously never fully convinced that Barrero was going to be that guy. If they did, Kevin Newman wouldn't be on the roster. Speaking of which, once McLain arrives, Newman should start no more than once per week at shortstop.

But back to Barrero. The former top prospect has been an utter disaster. Last season, it was the strikeouts. While Barrero has cut down on the number of times he swings a pitch well outside the strike zone, the 24-year-old still has an on-base percentage below .300 and a wRC+ of 59 according to FanGraphs.

To think that Barrero's time with the Reds organization is over is a bit presumptuous. After all, he's still very young and possesses supreme athletic ability. But Barrero hasn't only missed the mark in the batters' box, but on the field as well.

The shortstop may have an above-average arm, but his -3 outs above average (OAA) and -3 defensive runs saved (DRS) speak volumes about his defensive shortcomings. Barrero also has a fielding percentage of .974 this season.

What does the future hold for Jose Barrero? Who knows? His raw skills and athleticism are the stuff that GMs wish for, but Barrero's never really been able to put it all together. The Reds can option Barrero back to the minors, and with the team's depth at shortstop, perhaps it's time to transform him into a full-time outfielder.

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