Reds OF prospect Ronnie Dawson will not be added to the 40-man roster.
Ronnie Dawson had an interesting journey to the major leagues this season. The former second-round draft pick caught the bus to Milwaukee along with former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Albert Almora Jr. back in May after an illness swept through the clubhouse and caused several players to miss a game or two.
Dawson then returned to the Louisville Bats and has yet to join the Cincinnati Reds again this season. Dawson, who's from Ohio, has a million-dollar smile, but he's fallen short of expectations after being selected by the Redlegs in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft.
In over 100 games with the Bats this season, Dawson has shown flashes of what made him a second-round pick back in 2016. But, he's also shown why he's appeared in just four major league contests. Dawson has a .731 OPS at Triple-A this season, and according to FanGraphs, a wRC+ of 96.
Those numbers may be enough to keep Dawson within the organization heading into next season, but the Cincinnati Reds are unlikely to add the left-handed hitting outfielder to the 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Ronnie Dawson may get a chance to shine next spring in Goodyear, but he'll have to fight and claw his way onto the Reds 2023 Opening Day roster.