Ranking every player on the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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Ranking the Reds 40-man roster: Who is No. 15 through No. 11?

15. Kevin Newman, Reds infielder

Kevin Newman, a longtime member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was brought to Cincinnati as a insurance policy. While it looks as though Jose Barrero will get the lion's share of reps at shortstop, Newman will be there to pick up the pieces if he struggles.

14. Will Benson, Reds outfielder

Where to rank Will Benson among those on the Reds 40-man roster proved to be rather difficult. The outfielder, who came over from Cleveland earlier this offseason, has spent most of his career in the minors. Benson has tremendous pop along with great speed and could see plenty of time in center field for the Reds this season.

13. Spencer Steer, Reds infielder

This may be a little low, but for now, Spencer Steer is still an unknown commodity. A lot of projections foresee a big year from the rookie and it's very likely that Steer will be manning the hot corner throughout the 2023 season.

12. TJ Friedl, Reds outfielder

Don't sleep on TJ Friedl. A second-half surge saw the outfielder clobber eight home runs. Friedl has the speed to play up the middle of the Reds outfield and the University of Nevada product is one of the few left-handed bats that David Bell has available this season.

11. Luis Cessa, Reds pitcher

Luis Cessa will be begin the 2023 season in the Reds starting rotation. But where will he finish? Cessa may well be headed back to the bullpen at some point this season. Or, as one of the few Reds players slated to hit free agency during the offseason, Cessa could be on the trade block come July.

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