{"id":735212,"date":"2026-06-25T13:06:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T13:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/735212\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T13:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T13:06:16","slug":"reds-latest-experiment-with-matt-mclain-is-another-disaster-waiting-to-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/735212\/","title":{"rendered":"Reds latest experiment with Matt McLain is another disaster waiting to happen"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cincinnati Reds have a terrible habit of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and Matt McLain appears to be their latest guinea pig. According to Reds’ dugout reporter Jim Day, McLain was taking fly balls in center field<\/a> during practice on Tuesday. This is a surefire sign that Cincinnati is looking to convert yet another infielder into an outfielder.<\/p>\n

It’s an experiment that’s worked so many times in the past, why not try it again, right? In point of fact, it hasn’t worked before<\/a>. The Reds have gone down this road before with Nick Senzel, Spencer Steer, and most recently, Noelvi Marte<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Every time, this ill-fated experiment has ended in disaster. The aforementioned three players, two of whom are still part of the Reds organization, have a combined -39 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -20 outs above average (OAA) after moving from the infield dirt to the outfield grass.<\/p>\n

Reds are sending Matt McLain down a path that feels doomed already<\/p>\n

This feels like yet another silly concoction from the mind of Nick Krall. Since taking over the reins from Dick Williams in 2020, Krall has emphasized a desire for the organization to draft and develop athletes \u2014 regardless of position. The result has been more shortstops that anyone’s willing to count, and lack of outfield talent \u2014 both in the major and minor leagues.<\/p>\n

While that theory definitely holds water, it’s lacking in proof of concept. If Krall (or anyone in the fanbase) wants to point to Steer as a success story<\/a>, I’ll listen. But I could easily counter that example by suggesting that he’s a far superior defender at first base. So if you want his bat in the lineup, why not play him at a position that improves your overall defense? He was a Gold Glove finalist in 2025.<\/p>\n

And that’s where this idea of moving McLain to center field comes apart at the seams. With Steer, it’s a matter of his bat being valuable enough that the Reds are willing to field a weaker team defensively. Steer is one of the most reliable hitters on the team, and while he’s not an elite defender in the outfield, he’s serviceable.<\/p>\n

McLain’s hitting .200\/.303\/.348 with an 80 wRC+. His greatest asset is his defense at second base. So why in the world would you take him away from the one thing he does well?<\/p>\n

The answer is obvious, but it’s also asinine. By giving McLain reps in center field, the Reds can then justify playing both he and Edwin Arroyo together<\/a>. That’s it. That’s the whole reason this is even being discussed. Rather than optioning Arroyo \u2014 or McLain for that matter<\/a> \u2014 back to the minors to receive regular at-bats, the Reds are content to upend their entire roster just to get both players into the lineup.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the Reds already have three centerfielders on the 40-man roster, and all of them have hit better than McLain this season. (Well, maybe not TJ Friedl<\/a>.) Dane Myers is hitting .255\/.357\/.382 with a 106 wRC+ and Blake Dunn owns a .279\/.336\/.386 slash line with a 98 wRC+ and is terrific defender with elite speed.<\/p>\n

If this experiment goes from the practice field to an actual in-game situation, it should be straw that breaks camel’s back and lead to Krall’s dismissal from the organization. How many times can one man fail and be given another chance only to do the exact same thing that led to the failure in the first place?<\/p>\n

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