Blog

The Cincinnati Reds have made their first round of roster cuts this spring, reassigning six players to minor league camp and reducing their big league camp roster to 55. All six were non-roster invitees, with pitcher Jose Acuna being the only one among them. The group also included top 10 prospects Cam Collier, Edwin Arroyo, and Hector Rodriguez, along with Ivan Johnson and Michael Trautwein.

Jose Acuna appeared in two games this spring, allowing five runs over 4.0 innings while surrendering three home runs, six hits, a walk, and a hit batter, while striking out four. He is expected to start the season in Double-A or Triple-A, where he logged 35.0 innings last year as a carefully managed starting pitcher returning from injury.

Cam Collier, one of the youngest players in big league camp at 20 years old, went 1-for-8 with a double, three walks, and three strikeouts over eight games. After spending the 2024 season with High-A Dayton, he is likely to begin the 2025 season in Double-A with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Hector Rodriguez, who turns 21 next week, went 3-for-10 with a stolen base in his eight games this spring. Like Collier, he spent last season with Dayton before playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, where he posted a .309/.344/.487 line as the youngest everyday player in the league. He is also expected to start the season in Double-A.

Edwin Arroyo missed the entire 2024 regular season due to shoulder surgery following an injury in last year’s spring training. He made his return in the Arizona Fall League, playing 18 games and hitting .253/.309/.333. This spring, he appeared in eight games for the Reds, going 3-for-16 with a stolen base. Having spent most of 2023 in Dayton before a brief Double-A stint, he is likely to return to Double-A to start 2025.

Ivan Johnson had a strong finish to 2024, excelling after his promotion from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville, where he hit .289/.359/.537 over 47 games. The 26-year-old played in six spring training games for the Reds, recording a 2-for-8 performance with two RBIs. He is expected to return to Louisville.

Michael Trautwein primarily caught for Triple-A Louisville last season, appearing in 60 games behind the plate while also logging some time in left field. He struggled offensively, batting .192 over 77 games. In spring training, he played four games for the Reds, going 1-for-6 with a double.