Predicting the Reds 40-man roster after the upcoming non-tender deadline

Predicting the Reds infield after the non-tender deadline (9)

Joey Votto, Jonathan India, Jose Barrero, Kyle Farmer, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Matt Reynolds, Alejo Lopez, Spencer Steer

There shouldn't be many surprises here. Joey Votto, Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, and even Jose Barrero are all locks to be on the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster after the non-tender deadline. But some other names might not be so fortunate.

Kyle Farmer should, and likely will, be on the roster after the non-tender deadline. A lot has been made about Farmer's projected salary for next season, which MLB Trade Rumors estimates to be in the range of $6M. And while that number is high for the numbers that Farmer puts up, it's not as maintaining his services at that salary will keep Cincinnati from signing a top-flight free agent.

The Reds will also be adding two of their top infield prospects to the 40-man roster later this week. Both Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte will find their names on the roster in the coming days. Though both are likely to begin the season in the minors, the duo could eventually form the future left side of the Reds infield for the next decade.

The two players who are in jeopardy of losing their spot on the 40-man roster are Alejo Lopez and Matt Reynolds. Neither is up for arbitration, so salary will have no impact on their standing. However, both players could serve as a roadblock for some of the Reds incoming talent. But David Bell seems to view both utility players favorably, so it's likely that both Reynolds and Lopez survive.

However, the same cannot be said for Mike Moustakas. Yes, the slugger is due $22M next season, but injuries and conditioning saw Moose land on the IL six times in 2022. Moustakas' salary is already accounted for, and allowing the 34-year-old to play over the likes of Steer and Lopez is not the way a "rebuilding" ball club should operate.