Reds latest roster move turns final bullpen spot into high-stakes showdown

Luis Mey will not be part of the 2026 Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster. The team reassigned the flame-throwing right-hander to Minor League camp on Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. There's still one spot left in the Reds bullpen, and the battle is becoming tense.

With Emilio Pagán, Tony Santillan, Brock Burke, Graham Ashcraft, Connor Phillips, and Pierce Johnson all guaranteed a spot on the Reds Opening Day roster, the final opening in the bullpen comes down to a choice between Sam Moll or Zach Maxwell.

Both players are on the 40-man roster, but Moll is out of minor-league options, meaning that he'd have to pass through outright waivers if the Reds hope to keep him in the organization. Maxwell, however, can be optioned to Triple-A without the risk of losing him to another team.

Most casual observers might look at this scenario and assume the choice is easy. Option Maxwell back to the minors, keep Moll (a second left-handed reliever), and just head into Opening Day, right? But Maxwell's performance this spring is difficult to ignore, and with a six-man starting rotation to open the season, the Reds will need flexibility among their relief corps.

Zach Maxwell could edge out Sam Moll for the final Reds roster spot

Maxwell is a high-octane reliever with a nearly un-hittable fastball. The right-hander can dial up his four-seamer to 100-plus, and he offsets it with a 95 mph cutter. Maxwell will sprinkle in a slider from time to time as well.

Maxwell had a rough start to the spring, but he's since settled in. After issuing four walks in his first Cactus League game, he's walked just two batters and struck out 11 over 6⅔ innings of work. Commanding the strike zone has always been an issue for the Georgia Tech alum, but when he's locked in, there aren't many hitters who can stand in the batter's box with much confidence.

As for Moll, he's been steady this spring. The southpaw owns a 0.00 ERA through nine spring appearances and has 12 punch outs. With numbers like that, one would assume that he's a shoo-in to make the team. But Moll's walked six batters over nine innings, and is coming off a tough year in 2025. He posted a 6.38 ERA in 23 relief appearances last season and posted a 12.3% walk rate.

The Reds may need to shuttle relievers between Triple-A and the big leagues to open the season. Among the relievers who've already secured a spot on the Opening Day roster, only Phillips and Ashcraft have minor-league options remaining. Adding Maxwell would give them three relievers to yo-yo up and down I-71 between Cincinnati and Louisville.

This won't be an easy choice for Francona, but the Reds skipper has just a week to finalize the roster before the regular season begins. This might be the most difficult decision he has to make ahead of Opening Day.