GOODYEAR, AZ – The only thing certain about the 26-man roster the Cincinnati Reds finalized to open the season is that nothing about it is anything close to final.
More than twice that many played for the Reds by the time the season ended last year, and those 53 represented a six-year low for a full season.
Seven players made big-league debuts last year. Four players who started the final game in the playoffs were not on the Opening Day roster, including a starting pitcher and Gold Glove third baseman who were both acquired at the trade deadline.
The Reds’ home run leader in September was a guy who hadn’t played a game above A-ball until the start of last season: Sal Stewart.
In all, 10 guys who opened the season on the roster in March were not on the Reds’ playoff roster in October, including five who were no longer in the organization.
With that in mind, manager Terry Francona said “a lot of guys” who didn’t make the final cut for the roster this spring have caught his eye enough to be on the club’s radar as the season opens.
“(Rece) Hinds and (JJ) Bleday and (Blake) Dunn – those are three pretty good guys playing at Triple-A,” Francona added of a trio of outfielders among the final cuts in camp.
That doesn’t even count a slew of pitchers with big-league experience and/or big arms who almost certainly will see time in the majors this year if they stay healthy.
“And the other thing, too, is there’s usually somebody you don’t know who’s going to jump up and play their ass off and be a factor,” he said. “It happens every year. Like (Edwin) Arroyo — what’s his development look like. Nobody quite knows. That’s part of the fun of the game is to watch those guys develop and see what they’re developing into.”
Consider the debuts just in the past three seasons of players now expected to play significant roles for the playoff-minded 2026 Reds team: Matt McLain, Brandon Williamson, Andrew Abbott, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte and Connor Phillips in 2023, Rhett Lowder in 2024, and Chase Burns and Stewart last season.
This year?
Keep an eye on these 10 players who didn’t make the cut for the Opening Day roster but might play important roles for the team by the end of the season:
Shortstop Edwin Arroyo
A fast-rising prospect after being acquired from Seattle in the Luis Castillo trade in 2022, Arroyo lost nearly all of 2024 because of a shoulder injury and fought back over the last year to put himself on the doorstep of a debut.
He might be the best fielding shortstop in the organization (big leagues included). Francona said this spring team officials are anxious to see how his hitting develops.
For a team without a traditional utility infielder, Arroyo might be first in line should somebody like shortstop Elly De La Cruz or Matt McLain get nicked up at some point this season.
Outfielder JJ Bleday
The Marlins’ fourth overall draft pick in 2019, the lefty hitting Bleday has shown flashes with Miami and the Athletics in four big-league seasons, including a 20-homer season (2.1 bWAR) with the A’s in his one full season (2024).
Francona said part of the reason Bleday ultimately didn’t earn the final roster spot was because it was a bench job, and the club wants Bleday to keep working on his swing by playing every day.
“He has a gorgeous swing,” Francona said. I know he’s worked really hard on trying to simplify, and I think he’s done a very good job of it. There’s a lot to like. We just want him to keep playing.”
Reliever Kyle Nicolas
Nicolas has been in the big leagues with Pittsburgh for parts of the last three seasons, featuring an upper-90s fastball and two swing-and-miss breaking pitches. But he had little time to make the club when he was acquired during camp in a trade for outfielder Tyler Calihan – just as he headed out to join Team Italy for its long World Baseball Classic run.
His electric stuff was on full display in a scoreless inning during a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Team Venezuela, and when he finally joined his new team for the final week of camp the Reds put him on a plan that would require opening at Triple-A Louisville.
“He needs to pitch a little bit,” Francona said after Nicolas’ outing in the final days of Cactus League play, in which he walked four of the six batters he faced. “It’s kind of evident. But what comes out is good. It’s just he’s gotta pound the strike zone. When he does, he’s going to carve some people up.”
Starting pitcher Chase Petty
Petty, a former first-round draft pick of the Twins who was acquired in the 2022 Sonny Gray trade, was a touted prospect whose name kept coming up in trade talks after the 2023 and 2024 seasons, with the Reds quickly rejecting the overtures.
Early season rotation injuries forced a debut that resulted in two rough starts and a better relief appearance before he finished 2025 back in the minors.
He’s still shy of his 23rd birthday, and the club sees a lot of ceiling.
“He got a lot thrown at him last year, and he’s young,” Francona said. “Things kind of spiraled on him a little bit. I told him, ‘As quick as things can go that way, they can go the other way.”
Reliever Hagen Danner
Danner, whose big-league experience officially includes just one batter faced (and retired) in 2023, had one of the best performances in camp this spring after signing a minor-league free agent deal with an invitation to big-league camp.
“Impressive,” Francona said.
As much as anything, the Danner decision involved routine season-opening roster math. Because he was already on a minor-league deal he can open the season at Triple-A without the club running the risk of exposing him to waivers. Because he’s out of minor-league options, whenever he’s added to the 40-man roster he can’t be sent to the minors without clearing waivers.
Giving him more work at Triple-A before pulling that lever on the right-hander allows the club to maintain it’s best position of roster strength as it opens the season and sorts out some of the early decisions.
Outfielder Rece Hinds
Reds fans of a certain age (12?) might remember the way Hinds burst onto the scene with a National League Player of the Week performance in his first week in the big leagues in 2024.
His talent has tantalized ever since, and he had one of the best performances among Reds hitters this year. But, like Bleday, Francona said the team was reluctant to sit Hinds on the big-league bench to open the season instead of making sure he had everyday playing time (in Louisville).
“Hinds couldn’t have done more,” Francona said. “I was very careful with how I worded it with him. Not ‘you didn’t make the team’ – no, ‘you did enough to make the team.’ It’s just the role (for the final job) is a bench spot.”
Outfielder Blake Dunn
Dunn earned one of the final two roster spots out of spring training a year ago, impressing the first-year manager, Francona. A knee injury limited his playing time for a few weeks this spring, all but eliminating his best shot at pulling off a roster upset.
His speed and versatility could make him an easy call if an outfield need arises and he’s playing well.
Reliever Zach Maxwell
The hard-throwing right-hander they call “Big Sugar” solved enough of his command issues last year to make an eight-appearance debut down the stretch that was especially impressive at times and helped the Reds earn the NL’s final playoff spot.
But his strike-zone allergies resurfaced this spring.
“We often tell guys to knock down the door (to the majors),” Francona said. “He’s one: ‘Just bash that (expletive) down.’ If he works ahead (in the count), he’s gonna not just get people out; he’s got a chance to abuse some hitters. But when he doesn’t, he’s got a chance to give up (walks/runs) like we saw.”
Reliever Luis Mey
Another hard-throwing right-hander who debuted last season, Mey is in the Maxwell mode in the sense the club needs to see consistent command for him to get another shot.
If he can do that, he could be a ninth-inning candidate at some point in his career.
Left fielder Hector Rodriguez
Did somebody say something about somebody you don’t know jumping up and playing his ass off to earn a look?
Rodriguez, the organization’s sixth-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline), rose quickly through the system last year, reaching Triple-A Louisville at age 21 and hitting a combined .283 with 19 home runs and a .786 OPS at Double-A and Triple-A with some of the top bat speed in the organization – earning a 40-man roster spot.
Then he had an impressive winter ball season and drew praise for his improvement this spring in the outfield.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 10 Cincinnati Reds who missed roster cut but might yet make impact
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
