Reds fans will be furious if these players survive the trade deadline

If the Cincinnati Reds truly have playoff aspirations this season, some things have to change, and this is the time of year to do it. The MLB trade deadline is looming, and the Reds roster — as currently constructed — is not good enough to make a postseason push over the final two months of the season.

Terry Francona and the 26 players in the Reds clubhouse have put themselves in contention, but they'll need some help from Nick Krall, Brad Meador, and the front office in order to make up some ground in the NL Wild Card chase.

As such, a handful of Reds players no longer have any business being part of the team once the July 31 deadline passes. If these four players are still on the Reds roster after the trade deadline, fans should be furious.

Reds fans will be furious if these players survive the trade deadline

Connor Joe, Reds utility player

There's just no way to justify Connor Joe's spot on the active roster at this moment. His very presence is too tempting for Francona, and the Reds skipper continually runs Joe onto the field when the moment doesn't call for it. In fact, at this stage of the season, there's no moment that should require Joe to be on the field, and the Reds need to option him back to the minors.

Taylor Rogers, Reds reliever

On Tuesday night, Reds fans found out exactly how much faith Francona has in Taylor Rogers. With the Los Angeles Dodgers threatening in the top of the seventh inning, Francona rode with Graham Ashcraft rather than turning to Rogers to face the left-handed hitting Freddie Freeman. That should tell Reds fans all they need to know. Though Rogers owns a 2.13 ERA over his last 15 appearances, he's walked 11 batters and allowed 12 hits. It's time for the Reds to cut bait with Rogers.

Will Benson, Reds outfielder

Though he's become somewhat of a fan-favorite in Cincinnati, Will Benson doesn't belong on the active roster — at least not right now. While Benson has been the victim of bad luck over the past few weeks, he's hitting just .146 with 16 strikeouts and zero walks in his last 48 at-bats. With Jake Fraley getting the lion's share of the starts in left field, Benson's bat is redundant, and he should be sent back to Triple-A.

Lyon Richardson, Reds reliever

Lyon Richardson has a plus-changeup, but the Reds can't rely on the young right-hander in clutch moments if Cincinnati has serious playoff aspirations over the second-half of the season. While he's been impressive over his last seven outings, Richardson has allowed 16 hits and 11 earned runs over his last 15 appearances. The Reds need a more reliable arm in the bullpen, and should option Richardson back to the minor leagues.

Mind you, all these roster moves would require the Reds to make some trades before the deadline passes on Thursday. If Cincinnati fails to upgrade the roster, it's a massive mistake on the part of Krall, Meador, and the Reds ownership group. This team is close, but the aforementioned players need to be replaced with better options before the MLB trade deadline.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors