Quote Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp View Post
Balentien does not have a polished resume, certainly. But he does have some upside still and his age is as such that he has room to continue to improve. He's definitely shown the ability to be a good player for the Reds since coming over. And he did have a good set of peripherals in the minors - lending credibility to the idea he could still do it on the Major League level.

I think the comparison between the two is not just about what they are today, but what they could be in a year from now. Taveras would be an asset off the bench for the reasons you listed, but Dickerson is capable of providing those things anyhow, so no need for two of them.
The problem is that he isn't going to get a chance to refine his skills. He's a 5th OFer on this team, getting 5 ABs per week.. He needs to play.