The Cincinnati Reds made four roster moves today, just ahead of the 4pm ET deadline for teams to add minor league players to the 40-man roster to keep them out of December’s Rule 5 draft. Top 10 prospects Edwin Arroyo and Hector Rodriguez were added, along with #12 ranked prospect Leo Balcazar. The Reds only had two spots open on the 40-man roster when the day began, so they had to open up a spot and did so by designating right-handed pitcher Carson Spiers for assignment.
It felt like most were in agreement that both Edwin Arroyo and Hector Rodriguez were locks to be added to the roster. Leo Balcazar was where there was plenty of disagreement and he felt like more of a coin-flip kind of add for many. The designation of Carson Spiers for assignment isn’t too surprising. He had Tommy John surgery during the season and if he is able to return in 2026 it won’t be until late in the year.
Let’s start with the infielders. Both Arroyo and Balcazar are shortstops, though once the latter arrived in Chattanooga in the second half he spent most of his time at second base and only getting an occasional start over at shortstop. Don’t read into that much about his ability to play shortstop, though – he’s capable of playing the position at the MLB level.
Edwin Arroyo, the Reds 6th ranked prospect, spent all of 2025 in Double-A with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Coming off of a 2024 where he missed the entire year after a shoulder injury that required surgery in spring training, he hit for a high average (.284 – 6th best in the league) and he had a career low strikeout rate of 17%. He only hit three home runs on the year, leading to a .371 slugging percentage to go along with his .345 on-base percentage. If the switch-hitter can keep his contact rate low and find some of the power he showed before the shoulder injury he could be in the conversation for a call up to the big leagues.
Leo Balcazar split the year in Dayton with the Dragons in the first half and with the Lookouts in the second half. He hit a career high 12 home runs. Like Arroyo, he also lowered his strikeout rate in 2025 but his rate was just 13.4% between the two levels – and it was better in Double-A (11.1%) than it was in High-A (14.9%). At the two stops he hit .263/.339/.381.
Hector Rodriguez also saw action at two levels in 2025. He began the year in Double-A with the Lookouts but joined Triple-A Louisville after the All-Star break in July. His performance was a little better in Double-A than it was in Triple-A as he made a little more contact and hit for a little more power. Between his 82 games in Chattanooga and 53 in Louisville he hit .283/.336/.450 with 19 home runs. Rodriguez also stole 15 bases.
All three players were 21-years-old this season, with Balcazar not even turning 21 until the middle of June. It’s a very young group of players that were added this year by the Reds. All three of them could find themselves in the conversation to be called up next season, though. Arroyo and Rodriguez both seem like they will start the year in Triple-A, and with that combined with their being on the 40-man roster it’s just a matter of performing well and an opportunity arising to get the call. Balcazar is likely to begin the year back in Double-A after spending a little less than half of a season there, but if he can play well and move up to Triple-A later in the season he’s right there in that same kind of conversation.