You're right.
I was meaning to say he was a bench player to hit against LHP and be 5th OFer
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No one, but that was the problem with the Reds plan. They were so focused on handedness and defensive flexibility, that they played far inferior players like Payton, VanMeter, Jankowski, and Colon over Aquino. They also clearly valued Davidson over Aquino as the RH power bat off the bench and to DH. As mth123 points out, they outsmarted themselves.
You have shown nothing to indicate that Reds’ decision on Aquino was based on secondary factors. The Reds, like a number of posters, judged Aquino as not ready to contribute and needing work. They signed other primary OFers.
They didn’t “outsmart themselves.” They made a talent and readiness assessment with which you disagree. Nothing more or less.
They did work with Aquino. And then, when they decided to cut Ervin, Aquino was deemed ready to contribute in a suitable role.
This is/was not an "experiment with a young guy who has potential but a ton of flaws at the plate" season, particularly when you started the year with Shogo, Senzel, Winker, Castellanos, and Ervin coming off an .800 OPS season, and then added Goodwin 3 weeks ago.
Josh Van Meter would have performed better if given consistent playing time. Phil Ervin would have performed better if given consistent playing time. That playing time was not available for them. Nor would it have been available for Aquino had he been on the roster in their stead.
"It was worth the gamble given the offensive ineptitude." I'm not sure you appreciate the illogic of that statement. You are asserting that the Reds should have known in advance that two players slotted for backup OF duty and who projected to perform at roughly the same level as Aquino would, in practice, horrifically stink up in the joint. Further, you suggest that, predicated on that bit of clairvoyance, the Reds therefore should have been willing to "gamble" and give Aquino consistent playing time which was not available to the guys who he would have replaced.
For all this back and forth on Aquino this year, just don’t lose sight of the fact that you are arguing about the 5th outfielder on the team.
He has game changing power. Considering the state of our offense, it shouldn't be hard to find the guy at bats. And I agree he shoulda been on this team all season.
But with Shogo coming around and being one of our top two guys who we can rely on to get on base, I don't know that I like Aquino getting at bats at his expense. As guys heat up and cool down my opinion can change, but with what's on the line I want Shogo getting as many at bats as possible.
I don't even know how much Foster DNA you need. The MLB mobile game I play released a Special Edition Aquino last year for his POM stats, and then released a Legend Eric Davis during the off-season. I made sure to get them both.
I think they both have the same custom animation. They both look right to me.
Also: just to amuse myself, I went ahead and got the Adam Dunn SE, so I could have an all #44 outfield (even though the version of Shin-Soo Choo I have is a better fit for LF, since he can hit lead-off or #2, but the version of Suarez I have suffices if I bat Votto lead-off). Good times, good times....
Aquino was recalled from Prasco four time this season, the first time in July, just a few games into the season, and received starts every time he was called up. He even was sent down and called up the same day last week when a spot suddenly opened up. He was called up because he was deemed ready to contribute. He was sent down, because the Reds believed that they had better players. This was all with 30 and 28 man rosters, so there was room for him every time.
The facts don’t support your narrative. The facts are clear. The Reds felt Aquino was ready, but also felt that other players were better. They valued most of the other players because they batted left handed or played other positions, even though they were redundant.
JVM played in 14 of the 24 games the Reds played this season while he was on the team. He received consistent playing time.
When Senzel was injured, there was plenty of playing time for Aquino. Aquino in LF, Shogo in CF, Cast in RF and Winker at DH. If the Reds weren’t so obsessed with handedness, and insisted on playing JVM and Payton when Senzel went down, every time there was a RHP on the mound, they easily could have had given that OF plenty of starts.
And we really don’t know if JVM would have been better or if Ervin would have been better or if Aquino would have been better. None of them had enough MLB time for anyone to accurately predict how they would perform this season. But we do know that Aquino was the only one with actual potential and power to be better than a backup.