GOODYEAR, AZ. − There are only difficult personnel decisions left for the Cincinnati Reds in spring training.
The team on March 16 announced lefty pitcher Anthony Misiewicz was reassigned to minor league camp, and outfielder Blake Dunn, a 2021 draft pick by the Reds who played 30 big-league games in 2025, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
In addition to that, Reds manager Terry Francona revealed during his March 16 meeting with reporters that catcher Will Banfield, utility infielder Garrett Hampson and P.J. Higgins, another versatile infielder, wouldn’t make the 26-man Opening Day roster.
So, a day that started with official news on two cuts continued mid-morning with five cuts in total, bringing the numbers of big-leaguers left in camp to 34. And then, when you account for starter Hunter Greene’s name being on the injured list, as well as that of reliever Caleb Ferguson’s, it’s really more like the Reds are down to 32 players left in camp.
From those 32 players, the Reds will need to squeeze out a 26-man roster for Opening Day in Cincinnati on March 26, which is a baseball thrill unrivaled in many corners of the league.
“We’re talking through it every day,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “This split-squad game (March 18), we really need to get through that. We just really need, you know, you’ve got to have enough bodies to get through 18 innings.”
As part of helping with numbers over the rest of spring training games, Hampson (who hit a home run against the Diamondbacks March 16) and Higgins will remain with the Reds and also join the team after it breaks camp in Goodyear for two exhibition games against the Milwaukee Brewers March 23-24 at American Family Field, the Brewers’ regular-season home park.
Banfield, 26, will stay back in Goodyear and try to accumulate some at-bats. He has 18 at-bats so far this spring. He played 79 games in 2025 for Louisville and made his MLB debut for the Reds via an August call-up.
The Reds three-horse race for two starting rotation spots
Perhaps the highest-visibility roster battle in camp is the three pitchers, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson and Chase Burns, who continue to vie for two starting rotation vacancies. And it may already be unofficially decided based on recent events surrounding the hard-throwing Burns.
Burns was in the midst of a “de-load,” or tapering down his physical activity, during his March 13 start because of range-of-motion issues. He looked strong in a scaled-back, two-inning start, and Francona said Burns already had a “really good” bullpen session a few days later.
What’s certain is the Reds won’t take any chances with their top pitching prospect by rushing Burns onto the Opening Day roster.
In the meantime, Williamson has emerged in recent weeks after throwing nine consecutive scoreless innings dating back to a relief appearance in Cincinnati’s March 2 game against the Chicago Cubs.
Williamson’s ERA is down to 1.64 in 11 innings this spring. He’s only walked two batters against 13 strikeouts.
Prior to Williamson’s four scoreless innings March 15 against the Seattle Mariners, he told Reds beat reporter Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media that he planned to “get on that plane back to” Cincinnati.
“I think he’s pitched really well all spring,” Francona said. “I’m not sure I care about guy’s quotes but I think if you’re asking a guy to go out there and compete, if they don’t feel that way, it’s probably going to be pretty hard.”
With Greene out of the picture until at least July, the first three rotation spots are spoken for: Andrew Abbott was named Opening Day starter on March 8, and Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer were later named the Nos. 2 and 3 starters.
Reds position players, bullpen arms jockeying for roster spots
Sight unseen is a tough way to make the Opening Day roster, and that’s the position the Reds are in with the recently-acquired Kyle Nicolas, who is yet to appear at Cincinnati’s spring training since the team traded for him March 4. Given that, some might see the Reds as actually down to 31 players in camp.
The Reds obviously like Nicolas, who made 82 relief appearances for the Pirates the last two years, but they simply don’t know him and haven’t seen him pitch in a Reds uniform while he’s been away at the World Baseball Classic with Italy.
The Italians were still alive in the WBC entering a semifinal against Venezuela on March 16. Even with a Reds scout following Italy in the tournament to observe Nicolas, that’s proven to be somewhat fruitless because Nicolas pitched in one inning during pool play and hasn’t appeared again since that March 8 game against Great Britain.
“It’s been a frustrating − I’m not frustrated with (Nicolas). Don’t get me wrong,” Francona said. “Just the fact that we’re dying to get to know him and we’re not.”
With Nicolas appearing to be on the outside looking in, the other projected bullpen pitchers remaining in camp are likely competing for seven spots. Those relievers include close Emilio Pagán, Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft, Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson, Sam Moll, Connor Phillips, Hagen Danner, Zach Maxwell and Luis Mey.
Among the position players, catcher Jose Trevino is a lock to make the club as he’s a Platinum Glove-winning backup catcher on a multi-year contract. Outfielder Dane Myers has shown well in camp and Will Benson offers versatility at the outfield positions, plus his left-handed bat.
That would leave J.J. Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe as the primary candidates for the final spot in what should be four bench positions, although Rece Hinds remains in camp, too. Bleday and Hinds both homered March 16 against the Diamondbacks.
The Reds’ starting lineup today would likely include: T.J. Friedl (CF), Matt McLain 2B), Elly De La Cruz (SS), Eugenio Suárez (DH), Sal Stewart (1B), Noelvi Marte (RF), Spencer Steer (LF), Tyler Stephenson (C), Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds have difficult decisions to reach 26-man Opening Day roster
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
