When the Arizona Diamondbacks designated Garrett Hampson for assignment, the reaction was mostly subdued. Fans in Arizona saw it coming — not because Hampson is a liability, but because opportunity and production just didn’t line up. The Diamondbacks boast one of the most potent offenses in baseball, and a .167/.359/.167 slash line with minimal power or impact just doesn’t cut it. Especially when you’ve got a hungry prospect in Jordan Lawlar waiting in the wings and banging on the door to the big leagues.
Still, nobody expected Hampson to remain unemployed for long. He’s a seasoned utility player with speed, defensive versatility, and a decent clubhouse reputation. It was safe to assume some team out there would find room for him. But the Cincinnati Reds? Nowhere found on a bingo card.
Reds fans stunned as team signs former D-back Garrett Hampson over power bat
On paper, it’s a head-scratcher. The Reds inked Hampson to a major league deal worth a prorated $760,000 — not a fortune by any means, but a commitment nonetheless. The question buzzing through Reds Nation wasn’t about the money, but the fit. This is a club in desperate need of pop, not just gloves and grit. Instead of sticking with slugging outfielder Rece Hinds — who, yes, comes with strikeout concerns but also legitimate power upside — the Reds opted to ship him back to Triple-A in favor of a 30-year-old contact-first hitter whose profile mirrors that of the lefty-hitting Gavin Lux who’s already on the roster.
To put it bluntly: it’s not what the Reds needed, and fans knew it. The outrage didn’t take long to boil over. X lit up with takes ranging from confusion to outright disbelief. For a team struggling to generate offense and fighting to stay relevant in a crowded NL Central, this move didn’t just miss the mark — it felt like a white flag on upside.
And while we could go on, we’ll let the fans say the rest. Here are just some of the reactions that sum it all up:
What exactly the Reds are trying to accomplish with this move is anyone’s guess. Reinforcements are already en route — Jake Fraley is nearing a return to the outfield, and the infield picture is about to get even more crowded with Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeimer Candelario all working their way back. At that point, Hampson starts to look less like a strategic addition and more like a temporary patch — a depth move made out of short-term necessity rather than any long-term vision.
It wouldn’t be shocking if he’s back on waivers by the time the trade deadline rolls around, especially with the roster squeeze coming. For now, Reds fans will have to sit tight and hope there’s a bigger plan in motion — though this particular chapter doesn’t inspire much confidence.
As for Arizona? They’ve got bigger problems to solve. Hampson is Cincinnati’s problem now — and the D-backs have their own issues to patch, most of them rooted in pitching that feels one meltdown away from disaster.