This would be a terrific signing, as far as I’m concerned:
The Reds appear to be close to signing outfielder Jeremy Hermida to a Minor League contract, a baseball source told MLB.com on Monday evening.
The deal has not been finalized and the club has made no formal announcement.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of Hermida, but given the other choice for LF (Jonny Gomes), signing Hermida to a minor league deal with an invite to camp is just the sort of low-risk move the Reds should be making.
You can’t ignore the fact that Hermida has been oft-injured and less-than-productive over the last three years, and his defense isn’t great. However, I’m also having a difficult time ignoring the fact that Hermida was a first-round pick, the #4 prospect in baseball in 2006, and a guy who has raked in the big leagues at a young age.
Back in 2007, at age 23, Hermida hit 296/.369/.501 with a 125 OPS+. There aren’t many people who can do that. He’ll be 27 next season. I’m willing to see the Reds take a chance on Hermida recapturing that form. At the very least, he’s a left-handed bat off the bench, and we’ll need the depth (after last September’s outfield fiasco).