CINCINNATI -- The Reds added three prospects to their 40-man roster on Tuesday ahead of a deadline to protect eligible players from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
Cincinnati added shortstop Edwin Arroyo, outfielder Héctor Rodríguez and infielder Leonardo Balcazar. To clear space, right-handed starting pitcher Carson Spiers was designated for assignment.
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The moves brought the Reds' 40-man roster to its capacity.
Arroyo, 22, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Reds' No. 8 prospect while the 21-year-old Rodríguez is slotted one spot behind at No. 9. The 21-year-old Balcazar is ranked No. 23 in the organization.
It was an important season of development for Arroyo after he missed all of the 2024 season recovering from left shoulder surgery. He played all 120 of his games in 2025 with Double-A Chattanooga, where the switch-hitter batted .284/.345/.371 with three home runs, 44 RBIs and 12 stolen bases while maintaining his status as a smooth defender.
Arroyo was one of four Minor Leaguers -- that also included Noelvi Marte -- who came to the Reds from the Mariners in a 2022 trade. He will be at big league camp at Spring Training for the third time next year after being a non-roster invite in 2024 and '25.
Rodríguez, who was acquired with Minor League pitcher José Acuña in a 2022 deal that sent Tyler Naquin and Phillip Diehl to the Mets, batted .283/.336/.450 with 19 homers and 65 RBIs over a combined 135 games with Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. He led all Reds Minor Leaguers in hits (149), total bases (237) and runs (92).
A left-handed hitter, Rodríguez has primarily been a corner outfielder in recent seasons.
Balcazar split the 2025 season with High-A Dayton and Chattanooga and batted .263/.339/.381 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs over a combined 126 games. He was ranked fourth in the organization in hits (129), sixth in total bases (187) and tied for sixth in runs (69).
Signed by the Reds for $100,000 out of Venezuela in 2021, Balcazar was among the Reds prospects who participated in the Arizona Fall League.
Spiers opened the 2025 season in the Reds' big league rotation and was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in three games (two starts) before he went on the injured list April 20 with a right shoulder impingement.
During his rehab assignment with Louisville, Spiers was injured again on July 19 and had season-ending ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow.
Among prospects left unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft was infielder Carlos Jorge, who is ranked No. 22.
The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Dec. 10, during the Winter Meetings that will be held in Orlando.
