Reds rumors: 5 players who won’t be on the roster by July 1

1. Fernando Cruz will likely be DFA’d by Reds before July

The Reds bullpen has been one of the best pieces of their team in 2023. Their GM, Nick Krall, spoke in what seemed to be a tone that hinted the Reds would be buyers at the deadline.

This tone should excite Reds fans all over the world. The Reds players want to win and so does the General Manager. But this will mean the Reds will look to improve their already impressive bullpen.

The short straw of the bunch has been Fernando Cruz. Cruz has thrown to a horrible 1.51 WHIP and an ERA near 7.00. These numbers would haunt a team on the push toward a division title. Not only has Cruz struggled, but the Reds are quite likely to acquire a left-handed reliever before the trade deadline, due to their lack of southpaw depth in the MLB and Triple-A bullpens.

The question of who replaces Cruz can’t be answered with a name just yet. But, more than likely, it will be a left-handed reliever that fills Cruz’s roster spot, if he is DFA’d in the near future. Whether that pitcher is the former Red, Aroldis Chapman, or a different option is still to be seen, but his spot will be filled with a lefty specialist in the bullpen.