Publicly, the Reds’ plan seems to be using Scott Hatteberg as a full-time first baseman and shifting Adam Dunn back to the outfield now that Wily Mo Pena is gone.
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Hatteberg authored a .256/.334/.343 line for Oakland last year in 464 at-bats. That’s just nowhere near the work of a starting first baseman, even if he does dial that OBP up to .370 again. A commenter on the Wily Mo thread, Mike Murphy, had this to say:
"I predict… the Cincy Reds will wind up with either Carlos Pena or Hee Seop Choi."
To that I say, good call! One of those interesting first base projects would be an ideal fit for Cincinnati. Other possibilities: Tony Clark, Ryan Shealy, and maybe Walter Young. Hell, Calvin Pickering deserves another shot, the big lug. Not sure who the Reds could send over to acquire Shealy, but that would be a fantastic pickup.
