3 players the Reds should non-tender but won't

3. Jeff Hoffman, Reds starting pitcher

Jeff Hoffman was traded to the Cincinnati Reds prior to last season.

The Reds traded former first-round pick Robert Stephenson and outfield prospect Jameson Hannah to the Colorado Rockies.

In return, Cincinnati received Hoffman, a former first-rounder in his own right, and pitching prospect Case Williams.

Williams eventually returned to the Mile High City at the trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Mychal Givens to Cincinnati.

Hoffman is eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, and MLB Trade Rumors predicts that the right-hander will land a one-year/$1.1M contract from the Reds.

That's not much at all, but does Jeff Hoffman really add much to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen.

I'll give him this, he performed better out of the bullpen than he did as a starter.

Hoffman posted a 5.20 ERA in 45 innings as a stater last season and saw that ERA drop to 3.54 in his 28 relief innings.

Hoffman, however, was still roughed up out of the bullpen, allowing six of his 12 home runs in relief.

Opposing batters actually had a higher OPS against Hoffman in relief (.809) than they did when he was a starter (.787).

With Cincinnati's young pitching prospects (Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo) ready to make an impact in 2022, Jeff Hoffman should not even receive a chance to be part of the rotation.

Young relievers like Dauri Moreta, Riley O'Brien, Tony Santillan, and Alexis Diaz should all be given the opportunity to earn a spot in the bullpen over Hoffman.

With such a small salary commitment, it's easy to see the Cincinnati Reds hanging on to Jeff Hoffman at the non-tender deadline.

The Reds should probably say goodbye to all three players named on this list, but in the end, I don't expect Cincinnati to non-tender anyone by Tuesday's 8 p.m. ET deadline.