Quick Notes: Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Update

Here is what we know about the 2025 season so far

Under two weeks remain until Opening Day.

Ace Duty

Hunter Greene will start on Opening Day against the Giants. Well deserved.

Hunter Greene - Baseball Reference

Sneak Peek

Terry Francona has revealed that the top of the lineup will be as follows:

TJ Friedl

Matt McLain

Elly De La Cruz

Austin Hays

We agree with this. We are a "hit your best guy third" kind of outfit here at TK.

Friedl is a spark plug at the top, and McLain is deserving of the extra at-bats at the 2 spot. Talk about an energetic top 3.

The new skipper has also announced the starting rotation to line up this way:

Hunter Greene

Nick Lodolo

Nick Martinez

Brady Singer

The fifth spot is TBD. Injuries will play a role in who gets it: Graham Ashcraft or Carson Spiers are the most likely to land the fifth spot unless Andrew Abbott is cleared from his shoulder problems.

Free Refunds (Kinda)

Rule 5 pick Cooper Bowman has been sent back to the A's, as we predicted. It did not take a Nostradamus to see however: he was having a rough spring and did not warrant the steep cost of holding a roster spot all year, which is required for Rule 5 picks. We paid the A's $100k to nab him from their roster, they gave us $50k to take him back.

Bowman was in the running for the last bench spot. Stuart Fairchild, Will Benson, Jacob Hurtubise, and Blake Dunn are all competing to make the 2025 squad. The increasingly likely start on the IL for Spencer Steer will force two of these fellas start the year in Cincy.

Finish Line

As Spring Training comes to a close, there are a few unanswered questions surrounding the roster. We mentioned the last rotation spot and last two bench spots. Our roster prediction still mostly holds up to date, but did not account for injuries to Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer. The Reds may need to kick the tires on the free agent market for a catcher and/or right-handed bat.

J.D. Martinez has been loosely linked to the Reds - ok, maybe it was just a bold prediction by someone. BUT please let this man rake in GABP.

Imagine this healthy lineup with us:

Friedl - CF

McLain - 2B

De La Cruz - SS

Martinez - DH

Candelario/Strand - 1B

Steer - LF

Stephenson - C

Lux - 3B

Hays - RF

That would work!