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With Wil Myers gone, Reds roster crunch is now at a standstill

The Reds DFA'd Wil Myers and optioned Stuart Fairchild this week. Fans shouldn't expect any other surprising moves over the next few weeks.

ByZach Pressnell|
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Wil Myers
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Wil Myers | Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds have one of the more crowded rosters in all of Major League Baseball. It seems as if every night manager David Bell has to reconfigure the lineup in order to get key players routine at-bats.

The Reds are loaded with young talent in both the infield and outfield, leaving tough decisions for the front office when it comes time to decide who stays and who goes.

Fans took to social media to vent their frustration after Stuart Fairchild was optioned to Triple-A earlier this week. But after the Reds made the surprising, yet necessary decision to designate Wil Myers for assignment, the Reds roster now lacks any real "expendable" pieces.

With Wil Myers gone, Reds roster crunch is now at a standstill.

The decision to DFA Wil Myers came as a huge surprise to most Reds fans, as they're used to seeing the Cincinnati front office and ownership hold on to some of their highest-paid players for as long as possible, and in some way trying to create some sort of justification for their criminal overpay.

While some Reds fans have advocated for trades, there are actually very few tradable pieces. Outside of perhaps infielder Kevin Newman or one of the two veteran catchers (Luke Maile and Curt Casali), the Reds are unlikely to part with any player on the team's active roster.

While many throughout Reds Country have been advocating for the team to promote slugging infield prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand, there's just no real opportunity at the moment for the 23-year-old to break into the everyday lineup.

The Cincinnati Reds also have recently optioned Jose Barrero and Stuart Fairchild to Triple-A. Both players were part of the Reds Opening Day roster, but no longer have a spot because of the influx of talent.

The Reds are riding an 11-game winning streak at the moment, so nothing seems out of place. As the trade deadline approaches, certain moves could be made. But until then, expect the roster crunch to hold tight for the next several weeks.

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