Adam Dunn

Wrote for Sunday's paper what the Reds should do to get off the schneid. Among the suggestions was to deal A. Dunn... obvious move, but maybe not for the obvious reasons. The big one is...

They can't afford him.

If you're paying a guy 13-mil in Cincinnati, he has to do more than hit lots of home runs. Dunn is a 1-tool guy. Whether he doesnt work at the rest of his game or simply can't be any better than he is, is great stuff to debate. But it comes back to money.

We always wanted more from Dunn. I'm starting to think the expectations were a little unfair. I know, I know: He doesnt always run hard, he's dangerous in LF, he's not a model for the young guys etc.

But maybe Dunn just is who he is. Seven years into it, what you see is what you get, a very large man who hits lots of baseballs a very long way. An average of 40 homers, 100 runs and close to 100 rbi isnt the worst thing in the world to have on your team.

If you're Boston or the Bronx, you can afford a 13-mil DH. Given Dunn's production, in Boston or NY, you see him as very important to the whole. In Cincinnati, and in the National League, he's simply not worth the investment.

That said, if Dunn stays (and my inside peeps tell me anything the Reds get for Dunn will be less than what you'd expect, maybe shockingly so), you bat him 2nd, where he'll see more fastballs, has some protection and is comfortable hitting.

Agree or disagree?