![\"Cincinnati](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/C42BW2EK55GGPJWGYFJFQASHXM.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re deeper this year than we were last year,\u201d Francona said. <\/p>\n
The Reds finalized their roster by selecting Nathaniel Lowe to be the final position player on the Opening Day roster and reliever Sam Moll to be the final reliever on the roster. <\/p>\n
Lowe, a veteran with a Silver Slugger award and a World Series title, has proven to be able to hit right-handed pitching. He received the final roster spot over two intriguing younger players in JJ Bleday and Rece Hinds. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was (about) the role,\u201d Francona said. \u201cIt\u2019s a bench role. We really want Bleday and Hinds to play. We told them that. They both swung the bat really well. We talked to Lowe about the role. I think that\u2019s the reason. I told Hinds, he couldn\u2019t have done more. The role is a bench spot, and we want you to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lowe made a very strong impression after signing a minor league deal with the Reds in February. <\/p>\n
\u201cReally quickly, he assimilated into the culture and was a part of it,\u201d Francona said. \u201cIt\u2019s meaningful. Guys love him. He can handle the role. The last thing you want is a guy sitting on the bench that\u2019s tearing down the fabric as opposed to adding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moll gives the Reds a true matchup left-handed reliever, which is particularly important with lefty Caleb Ferguson opening the year on the injured list with an oblique injury. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe last four outings, his stuff has really ticked up,\u201d Francona said. \u201cThe changeup has been really good. With Ferguson down, it gives us that second lefty. It just seemed to make sense to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moll earned the spot over Zach Maxwell, an exciting rookie with big stuff who\u2019s still refining his command. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo often we tell guys to knock the door down,\u201d Francona said. \u201cHe\u2019s one. Bash that (expletive) down. As he works ahead (in the count), he has the chance to not just get people out. He has a chance to abuse some hitters.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Reds are only opening the year with seven relievers in the bullpen because they\u2019re keeping six starting pitchers on the staff. It\u2019s a condensed six-man rotation, and Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson will stay on five-day schedules and ramp up as starting pitchers. <\/p>\n
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Credit: AP<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Credit: AP<\/p>\n
Francona is impressed with the relief depth the Reds begin the season with in Triple-A.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got (Luis) Mey, Maxwell. (Yunior) Marte,\u201d Francona said. \u201cThere are some good arms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the Reds\u2019 Opening Day roster. <\/p>\n
Starting rotation: Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson. <\/p>\n
Bullpen: Emilio Pag\u00e1n, Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft, Pierce Johnson, Brock Burke, Connor Phillips, Sam Moll. <\/p>\n
Hitters: Tyler Stephenson, Sal Stewart, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Ke\u2019Bryan Hayes, Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, Will Benson, Dane Myers, Nathaniel Lowe, Jose Trevino. <\/p>\n
Injured list: Hunter Greene and Caleb Ferguson <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe\u2019re deeper this year than we were last year,\u201d Francona said. The Reds finalized their roster by selecting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2400],"tags":[5,5250,535,50,4259,4,256,3529,536,68472,185,3412],"class_list":["post-637256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-cincinnati-reds","tag-baseball","tag-cactus-league","tag-cincinnati","tag-cincinnati-reds","tag-cincinnatireds","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-baseball","tag-mlb-spring-training","tag-reds","tag-scottsdale-stadium","tag-sports","tag-stars"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116273299047198706","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637256\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}