Final Roster Decisions

Information is gradually leaking out regarding the Reds final roster decisions. 

Outfielders: Roger Bernadina will make the 25-man active roster. That means the five outfielders will be: Ryan Ludwick, Billy Hamilton, Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey and Bernadina. As a non-roster invitee to spring training, Bernadina will have to be added to the 40-man roster. DL: Skip Schumaker

Infielders: The six infielders will be: Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, Ramon Santiago and Neftali Soto (just announced). Soto, who plays 3B, 1B and has trained as an emergency catcher, is on the 40-man roster, but Santiago will need to be added. Chris Nelson has opted out of his contract with the Reds. DL: Jack Hannahan

Catchers: Devin Mesoraco will start the season on the DL with a strained oblique muscle. That means Tucker Barnhart will fill the role of backup catcher  and join Brayan Pena on the active roster. Barnhart is on the 40-man roster. DL: Devin Mesoraco

Starting pitchers: The Reds have announced that Johnny Cueto, Tony Cingrani and Homer Bailey will pitch in the first series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. Then the Reds head to New York where Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Alfredo Simon are expected to pitch against the Mets. That lines up Cingrani and Bailey to pitch the following series in St. Louis. It isn’t clear when Mat Latos will make his first appearance, but April 9 against St. Louis remains possible. DL: Mat Latos

Relief pitchers: J.J. Hoover, Sam LeCure, Manny Parra, Logan Ondrusek and Trevor Bell (just announced). Nick Christiani, and Pedro Beato, who are on the 40-man roster, are also likely to make the staff. Bell would need to be added to the 40-man roster. Curtis Partch may have pitched himself off the 40-man roster today, walking the two batters he faced in Louisville. DL: Aroldis Chapman, Sean Marshall, Jonathan Broxton, Brett Marshall

The Reds have said that none of the 8 players who will start the season on the disabled list will qualify for the 60-day DL. Players on the 60-day DL are exempt from the requirement to be on the 40-man roster. (I’d sure be tempted to put Hannahan on the 60-day.) Any player the Reds have to put on the 40-man roster necessitates taking another player off. It now looks like that number will be three. Those players would have to pass through waivers before they could stay with the Reds organization.