3 tricky 40-man roster additions the Reds should make during the offseason and 2 they shouldn't

When it comes to the Cincinnati Reds, making additions to the 40-man roster during the offseason will be crucial. That's especially true when it comes to which prospects the club will need to protect from the Rule 5 Draft.

Any player left unprotected during the offseason, who meets certain criteria, can be selected during the Rule 5 Draft. The Reds added players like Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte this past offseason in order to ensure they wouldn't be plucked by an opposing team.

Now, players like Connor Phillips and Rece Hinds are no-brainers when it comes to some of the Reds prospects who'll be added to the 40-man roster this winter. But there are some tough decisions that will need to be made as well.

Reds prospect Carson Spiers should be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

Carson Spiers is not a name that many Reds fans have heard. Pitchers like Connor Phillips and Andrew Abbott have overshadowed Spiers' performance this season. But the right-hander has seen sustained success nonetheless.

Spiers has spent all season at Double-A Chattanooga and floated between the starting rotation and the bullpen. All the while, Spiers has kept his ERA below 4.00 and his strikeout-rate above 25-percent.

Spiers came to Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in 2020. The 25-year-old likely would have been drafted that year had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic shrinking the 2020 MLB Draft to just five rounds.

Spiers was a two-pitch pitcher at the University of Clemson and could use that fastball/ changeup combination coming out of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen next season. Spiers has since added a breaking ball to his repertoire and could be a fringe starter if that third offering is above average.

Carson Spiers will be a name to watch as the Reds offseason unfolds. His ability to throw strikes will no doubt secure him a roster spot, but several other pitchers (Levi Stoudt, Casey Legumina, and Lyon Richardson) are looking to fill a similar role in 2024.

Note: Carson Spiers was added to active roster as a substitute player and has yet to be added to the 40-man roster.