Reds choose Juan Francisco over Jim Edmonds for final spot

Jim Edmonds said last week that he was “hopeful” about being ready for the playoffs after suffering an injury that was initially believed to be a torn achilles’ tendon, but that was never particularly likely and the Reds officially announced that he won’t be on the playoff roster. Cincinnati opted to give the final spot to 23-year-old rookie Juan Francisco, who logged just 59 plate appearances for the Reds after spending nearly the entire season at Triple-A. He hit .286 with 18 homers in 77 games at Louisville, but also posted an ugly 81/16 K/BB ratio. Francisco will likely be limited to pinch-hitting duties, although he does offer some defensive versatility in the infield and outfielder corners. As expected, Aaron Harang was also left off the Reds’ playoff roster.