Reds To Risk Future With Roster Moves

The Reds injury problems are testing the depth of the teams roster, not only the opening day roster of 25 players but the 40-man roster.

Each team can only protect 40 players at any one time.  If a player is signed to a minor league contract, he is obligated to play in the organization somewhere in the minor leagues.  To appear in a major league game, the player has to be added to the 40-man roster which means that another player has to come off. The player taken off can either accept assignment or become a free agent.

The risk of taking a player off is that a team will lose a player.

There is a chance that Devin Mesoraco will need to start the season on the disabled list.  To replace him the decision is Corky Miller, who has major league experience, of Tucker Barnhart, who is being promoted to Louisville.   Barnhart is on the 40-man roster.  Miller is not.

Adding Miller would mean possibly losing a prospect with a bright future, but is not quite ready to compete in the major leagues.  As an example, the Reds could remove Ismael Guillon, a left-handed pitcher the team believes to be an ace in the making, to add Miller.

"My philosophy on this is," first-year manager Bryan Price said. "Whatever is going to happen, we're going to have 25 guys here at the end of spring training. It is going to be the hand that we're dealt. We are going to compete and bust our tails to be excellent. Whoever, those 25 guys are I don't know."

Price and general manager Walt Jocketty have other decisions that will impact the Reds' immediate future and its long-range future.

Do you risk losing Juan Duran or Yorman Rodriguez to add Roger Bernadina, who has had a great camp and is major league ready right now.

 The Reds have nearly seven years invested in their development after signing them at the age of 16.  Rodriguez is 21. Duran is 22.  Both are still two years away from being ready to help. Both have an abundance of talent.

It would be difficult to see that work go down the drain but winning now is so important.

"Walt's been great about it. What we're really trying to do is start the season with our best 25-man squad," Price said.  "We know that along the way that would be adding several non-roster players to our club and risk losing some players off our 40-man roster.  There are some challenges there.  We wouldn't want to lose anyone who is currently on our 40-man roster but inevitably we are going to have to. When push comes to shove those games in April are as important as any other game in the season. To think we are going to just hold down the fort with guys who are currently on the 40-man roster, would not allow us to put the best team on the field."

The Reds feel like they can win.  Part of the dilemma is that some players are close to returning but shouldn't be rushed.  Jonathan Broxton may need just a couple days.  Mat Latos maybe a week.  Devin Mesoraco with a sore oblique is close enough that he could still open the season on the roster or he may have to stay in Arizona to work in minor league games.

Homer Bailey, Broxton  and Latos pitched in minor league games yesterday.  Johnny Cueto will pitch in a minor league game today.  By appearing in a minor league game as opposed to a major league exhibition game, the Reds could back date the 15-day disabled list and have them come off sooner than that should they have a setback.

"We feel that this is a team that can win," Price said. "We're optimistic that we have an outstanding team. I wouldn't want to forfeit the first two weeks of the season, trying to get healthy."

The Reds 40-man and roster of players remaining in camp are below:


Cincinnati Reds 40.pdf

Camp Roster 032514.pdf