I think anyone who's read Ball Four has to have a special place in their hearts for the knuckleball and the pitchers that throw it. Jared Fernandez, knuckler extraordinaire, is back with the Reds, and Hal McCoy has an article up talking about his hope to make the team out of Spring Training:
"With all the extra outfielders they have, I'm hoping they keep an extra position player and one less pitcher," he said. "I'm a guy who can pitch every day and eat up innings, save those other guys in the bullpen when they're needed. I'd love to have that job."
Jared's actually on to something there. The Reds have a bit of a roster crunch with all of their outfielders and pitchers, and it might be helpful to have a pitcher on the roster that can throw every day, out of the rotation or the bullpen. Fernandez, as far as I can see, gives the Reds their only shot at carrying 11 pitchers, something I'd like to see happen.
I think it's extremely unlikely that Fernandez will make the club out of Spring Training. However, if he does it's important to remember that there's an upshot to it all, because the complaining from the peanut gallery will probably get fairly loud.