12:21pm: Jocketty downplayed the likelihood of Viciedo ending up in Cincinnati when asked by MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter link). While the GM again acknowledged that the Reds inquired on the slugger, he told Sheldon that Viciedo is looking for more playing time than the Reds can offer.
9:07am: The Reds have at least some interest in outfielder Dayan Viciedo, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The White Sox requested release waivers on Viciedo earlier this week.
“We inquired about him,” says Reds GM Walt Jocketty. “I don’t know how far it will go. We’re looking at where we would play him.”
As Paul Swydan of Fangraphs noted yesterday, Viciedo would make some sense as a potential fit for the Reds, who lack bench players with offensive ability. Light-hitting utilityman Skip Schumaker currently projects as the Reds’ fourth outfielder. Although players like Kristopher Negron and Donald Lutz might be able to help somewhat in case of an injury to one of their starting outfielders, the Reds can clearly use a better, or at least an additional, contingency plan.
The 25-year-old Viciedo has significant flaws, of course. He hit just .231/.281/.405 in 2014, not a good showing given his poor defense. The righty does, however, have big-league power, with 21 homers last season, and he has youth on his side.
