Cincinnati Reds Winter League update

There are some twenty Cincinnati Reds farmhands plying their trade in Winter Leagues around the world at the moment, several of whom currently sit on the team's 40-man roster.  A handful even project to have 25-man roster spots when the season opens in just over two months, and with most leagues nearly wrapping up with Spring Training around the corner, it's high time we checked in to see how they've performed since the end of the 2015 MLB campaign.

Current 40-man roster

Jumbo Diaz - Toros del Este (Dominican Winter League)

Jumbo will likely have every opportunity to earn the closer's role for the Reds in Goodyear, and so far in the DWL he's done nothing to dent that chance.  In 10 games, he's struck out 14, walked just 2, and owns a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 IP (with a pair of saves in the process).

Ivan De Jesus - Cangrejeros de Santuce (Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente)

De Jesus has been back on his home island of Puerto Rico for the winter, but the likely top utility player for the Reds in 2016 has been on the reserve list throughout the season.  I've not read anywhere that he's been injured, so presumably he's there to take a ton of batting practice and keep himself in shape.

Carlos Contreras - Leones del Escogido (Dominican Winter League)

Like De Jesus, Contreras has been on a roster all winter yet hasn't made an appearance to date.  Unlike De Jesus, however, Contreras has been on the active roster throughout.  Hrm.

Yorman Rodriguez - Bravos de Margarita (Venezuelan Winter League)

Michelangelo is now out of options and presumably will be given every chance to make the 25-man roster out of Goodyear, but he's not exactly been bashing in the VWL all winter.  He owns a .227/.293/.333 line in 75 AB, including just a .555 OPS in 60 AB against RHP.  He's notoriously streaky, though, so hopefully he'll get hot again at some point.

Prospects whose names you may actually recognize

Sebastian Elizalde - Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Mexican Winter League)

Elizalde took a bit of a step back in 2015 after a breakthrough 2014 MiLB season, and that's continued somewhat in Mexico this winter.  He owns a .277/.318/.376 line in 242 AB, and it's still TBD whether that coupled with his year in Daytona will earn him a promotion on Opening Day to AA Pensacola.

Drew Hayes - Estrellas de Oriente (Dominican Winter League)

Hayes posted a 2.95 ERA in 58 innings for AAA Louisville in 2015, and so far he's backed that with 5.1 scoreless innings in the DWL.  At 28, he's likely not much more than filler at this point, though there's always room in the bullpen of rebuilding teams, so who knows.

Carlos Triunfel - Gigantes del Cibao (Dominican Winter League)

Triunfel's a toolsy new signee, a former consensus Top 100 prospect who's been with the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants already in his career.  Still just 25, he's managed a .261/.273/.381 line in 42 DWL AB, which is pretty much what his career MiLB stats suggest you'd expect from the glovey middle infielder.

JC Ramirez - Tomateros de Culiacan (Mexican Winter League)

Ramirez has big league relief innings under his belt with each of the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners, and inked a MiLB deal with the Reds back in November.  He's got a tidy 2.78 ERA in 22.2 IP in the LMP, with a sparkly 22/3 K/BB to boot.  He'll likely get a shot at a big league bullpen role in Goodyear, and if he keeps those numbers up in Spring Training, he may well earn one.

Wandy Peralta - Aguilas Cibaenas (Dominican Winter League)

Peralta struggled to a 5.09 ERA in 29 G (20 GS) with AA Pensacola in 2015, but he's somewhat righted the ship as an exclusive reliever in the DWL so far this winter.  He owns a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 IP, though that includes a suspect 16/9 K/BB.

Kevin Garcia - Navegantes de Magallanes (Venezuelan Winter League)

Garcia's far from a known quantity, but the 22 year old OF did bust out in the Pioneer League with Billings in 2015 to the tune of .317/.403/.399 in 183 PA with more walks (26) than strikeouts (24).  So far, he's yet to replicate that in Venezuela, as he's hit just .269/.321/.308 in 26 AB.

Alejandro Chacin - Gigantes del Cibao (Dominican Winter League)

Chacin has ouched his way to a 9.00 ERA in 7 IP in the DWL, with an ugly 7/5 K/BB.  It's obviously a small sample, though, and it's likely that the 2.45 ERA he posted in 36.2 relief innings in A+ Daytona will earn him a spot on the AA Pensacola roster to begin the 2016 season.

Donald Lutz - Brisbane Bandits (Australian Baseball League)

The Knockwurst is making his return from Tommy John surgery in the ABL, and so far he's doing so in his typical bashing ways.  Lutz has slashed .272/.348/.524 in 103 PA, and though he's no longer on the 40-man roster, it looks as if he'll make it to Goodyear with a chance to show he's healthy and still capable of providing big time power from the left side of the plate.

Others

Beyond those, each of Josciel Veras (Gigantes del Cibao - DWL), Daniel Jimenez (Aguilas de Zulia - VEWL), Dayan Diaz (Cardenales de Lara - VEWL), Hernan Iribarren (Caribes de Anzoategui - VEWL), Ismael Guillon (Navegantes de Magallanes - VEWL), and A.J. Morris (Navegantes de Magallanes - VEWL) have been listed on Winter League rosters without either making an appearance or making much noise.

Finally, a relatively odd note:  Reds farmhand Jake Turnbull - who won't turn 18 until February - is listed as an assistant coach with the Perth Heat (ABL) rather than a rostered player, though he's also listed with a .508 OPS in 40 AB with the Perth Heat.