Reds roster crunch may claim unexpected victim before Opening Day

Opening Day is little more than a week away, and Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona will have to make some difficult decisions in the coming days. The toughest choice, however, could cost one Reds player his spot on the team's 40-man roster.

There are 37 players remaining in Major League camp. Five of those players (Hagen Danner, Will Banfield, P.J. Higgins, Nathaniel Lowe, and Garrett Hampson) are not part of the 40-man roster. Banfield, Higgins, and Hampson have already been informed that they won't be part of the Reds Opening Day roster, but both Danner and Lowe have great chance to break camp with the team.

Danner has been lights out this spring. The right-hander has appeared in eight games, struck out nine batters, and owns a respectable 3.38 ERA. Lowe's Major League résumé speaks for itself, and he has three home runs and a .945 OPS in 32 Cactus League at-bats. Both players should have a plane ticket to Cincinnati after camp wraps up later this week.

How will the Reds squeeze Nathaniel Lowe & Hagen Danner onto the roster?

In order to add Danner and Lowe to the 40-man roster, however, the Reds will need to make a pair of corresponding moves. The first one is easy. Hunter Greene underwent arthroscopic surgery earlier this spring and won't be available until July at the earliest. He'll soon be placed on the 60-day IL, which will free up one spot on the 40-man roster. But what about the second one?

That's where things get tricky, and it will ultimately put Cincinnati in a bit of a bind. Unlike previous years, there's no Stuart Fairchild, Ian Gibaut, or Art Warren to designate for assignment. If Cincinnati is determined to add both Danner and Lowe to the 40-man roster, it could come at the expense of one of their talented youngsters.

Had Caleb Ferguson remained healthy this spring, the Reds could've DFA'd Sam Moll. But with Ferguson set to open the year on the injured list, Cincinnati needs that extra lefty in the bullpen. If Ferguson's injury is deemed severe, it could result in a placement on the 60-day IL, which would allow the Reds add both Danner and Lowe to the 40-man roster.

But if Ferguson is expected back before the end of May, the Reds are unlikely to make such a drastic move. Instead, they'll look to fringes of the roster in order to make a cut. Players like Blake Dunn and Christian Encarnacion-Strand could be on thin ice when final cuts are made.

One last option that hasn't received much discussion would be placing Julian Aguiar on the 60-day IL while he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Heading into play on Tuesday, Aguiar has pitched in just three Cactus League games with his last appearance coming on March 5. The right-hander might need a little more time to shake off the rust before pitching in minor league games.

A second 60-day lL placement would be a blessing in disguise for the Reds, but if that's not an option, a player fans know quite well could be cut loose in order to fill out the Opening Day roster.