Cincinnati Reds Roster Battles: 3 Most Intriguing Spring Position Battles

The Cincinnati Reds are in full swing of spring training with many roster battles going on.

Some of these battles are intriguing as it was thought there wouldn't be a discussion after last season.

Some are competing for a starting spot with the Reds, while others are competing in hopes that they're not sent down to Triple-A Louisville or released.

Any way you look at it, it's time for some of these players to grab the bull by the horns and state their case as to why they should get the position.

Here's a look at three battles going on for the Reds this spring training.

Who's in Left?

Currently, Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce have two of the outfield positions locked up.

That leaves Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick battling it out for the starting spot in left field.

As Cliff Eastham wrote in his article, the job is probably Ludwick's to lose. However, neither Heisey nor Ludwick have grabbed the bull by the horns to claim the starting spot.

Since that's happening, Ludwick will likely win the job by default, mainly due to his higher salary.

Neither have had a great batting average lately in the regular season, and both pretty much do the same thing.

Knowing that, I'm not sure why the Reds signed Ludwick in the offseason. Maybe it was to create more competition, which is backfiring right now.

Whatever the case may be, somebody has to start in left come Opening Day.

I can't make any predictions on this until I see the lineup card April 5 at home against the Marlins.

No. 5 Spot in Rotation

The Reds definitely got better in their starting rotation with the acquisition of Mat Latos in the offseason.

Now, the Reds must decide who their No. 5 starter will be with Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake taking up the other three spots in the rotation, in addition to Latos.

So, will it be Homer Bailey or Aroldis Chapman?

Bailey was once thought to be the Reds' ace of the future, but has failed miserably at just keeping his spot in the rotation.

Chapman has been lights-out in the bullpen and has continually topped out over 100 mph. But, that was pitching for one inning. Just like Stephen Strasburg had to learn to do, Chapman is going to have to learn to pace himself and not try to kill his arm by the third inning.

If he struggles doing that, he'll be right back in the bullpen.

In this competition, I have to give the nod to Chapman mainly because Bailey has had his chance to prove himself and failed.

Plus, Chapman provides a little more excitement for Reds fans.

What About Paul Janish?

Last year, there was no question that Paul Janish would be on the Reds' Opening Day roster.

This year, there's no such guarantee.

With Zack Cozart looking as if he'll be the Reds' shortstop for the near future, Janish thought he'd be relegated to a utility role, which was okay with him, as long as he had a spot on the roster.

Then, the Reds traded for Wilson Valdez in January, and suddenly Janish's spot on the team was no longer a guarantee.

Currently, both are doing about the same at the plate in the spring, so it could very well come down to defense, which again has been about equal for both.

Honestly, the best hope for Janish is that Brandon Phillips leaves the Reds as a free agent after this year, or gets traded; that way Janish is guaranteed a big-league spot.

In the end, I think both players have a spot on the Opening Day roster, as the Reds will keep six infielders and only four outfielders. But don't be surprised if Todd Frazier beats out one of those guys because of his versatility to play the outfield, in addition to first and third base.