Reds' stalled commitment to Opening Day roster can only mean one thing

The job of any Major League Baseball general manager is to put together the absolute best roster he can given the team's financial constraints. While it's not uncommon for teams to wait until just before Opening Day to make the 26-man roster official, the Cincinnati Reds may have an ulterior motive at work behind the scenes.

The Reds have already solidified the team's starting rotation and bullpen. The five starters leaving Goodyear and heading for Cincinnati are set in stone. Cincinnati's starting rotation of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Carson Spiers, and Brady Singer will be part of the Reds Opening Day roster.

Cincinnati has also assembled the team's Opening Day bullpen. With Alexis Díaz saddled with a hamstring injury, the Reds bullpen will likely use a closer-by-committee approach to begin the year. Taylor Rogers, Emilio Pagán, Tony Santillan, Ian Gibaut, Graham Ashcraft, Brent Suter, Scott Barlow, and Sam Moll will comprise the Reds' relief corps.

Reds' stalled commitment to Opening Day roster means that Nick Krall is scouring the waiver wire

But the Reds group of position players has not yet come into focus. Though Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Jeimer Candelario are assured of their spots on the Reds Opening Day roster, the trio of Stuart Fairchild, Blake Dunn, and Jacob Hurtubise are undoubtedly a little worried at the moment. If we're being honest, Austin Wynns' inclusion on the Reds Opening Day roster isn't a lock either.

Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall is doing his job, and is no doubt scouring the waiver wire to see if there's a way to improve this ball club before the 2025 season gets underway. This is common practice among all GMs and front office executives. Cincinnati struck gold with such an acquisition in 2017 after claiming Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Out of the three players still waiting for their fate to be determined, Fairchild should be the most nervous. Though he has a leg up on the competition given his lack of minor-league options remaining — limiting the Reds ability to keep him in the organization — that's exactly the reason that Cincinnati may sacrifice the former second-round pick if they need to add a player to the team's 40-man roster.

Don't expect the Reds to finalize their Opening Day roster until a few hours before the team's first game on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants, and until that happens, there's a couple players who are bound to be a bit nervous.

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