The Cincinnati Reds have a bit of an issue in their outfield right now, and they're having trouble fixing it. Cincinnati has given at-bats to players like Tyler Callihan, Blake Dunn, Jacob Hurtubise and a few others already this season; it's hard to imagine a competitive team doing that on a regular basis.
Cincinnati also has a bit of a power problem, especially while Austin Hays, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and now Noelvi Marte sit on the injured list. To solve this problem, the Reds recently made a move that should make fans rather happy: After placing Marte on the 10-day IL on Wednesday, the team called up slugger Rece Hinds.
If you're not familiar with Hinds' game, he's the same player who came to the big leagues last season and crushed five home runs and 11 hits in his first six games with the Reds. He cooled off shortly after and hasn't been brough back to the big leagues since late last season, but he's been tearing the cover off the ball once again in Triple-A.
Hinds is eminently worthy of another shot at the Major League level, especially considering the Reds' needs right now. But one big question still remains.
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The Rece Hinds promotion is great, but why is Blake Dunn on the roster?
The promotion of a slugger like Hinds should have Reds fans excited. We know what he is and what he's going to do: namely, crush home runs, play solid defense and probably strikeout a lot. It wouldn't be surprising to see him whiff at a 40 percent clip during his time in the big leagues, but at least you know you're getting pop to go along with that.
But the bigger issue here is Dunn. Why is Dunn on this roster, especially with Hinds back in the big leagues?
Dunn simply doesn't have a role on the team anymore. Against lefties, the Reds would likely play Hinds, Spencer Steer, TJ Freidl and Santiago Espinal in the outfield over him. Against righties, he's a subpar option at best.
Dunn provides good speed and solid defense, but his bat leaves quite a bit to be desired. He's slashing .155/.329/.241 in 28 games. Cincinnati has an issue in the outfield, and the only solution might be a trade.
Cincinnati has been rumored to be in on Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. That could certainly be an interesting fit for the Reds. It would absolutely be a massive upgrade over Dunn.
It'll be interesting to see what manager Terry Francona does against left-handed pitchers if Dunn stays on the roster.