Cincinnati Reds sign utilityman Garrett Hampson to big league deal

He’s on the roster already! He’s a Red!

You may remember veteran Garrett Hampson from such films as The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel, or Look Who’s Still Oinking, or even Used to Play for the Colorado Rockies.

Well, you may remember him from the first two. Nobody has ever actually watched the Colorado Rockies.

Hampson, believe it or not, plied his trade with the Rox across parts of five seasons after Colorado selected him in the 3rd round of the 2016 MLB Draft, doing a very Rockies thing of ‘playing for the team but not actually accumulating any WAR.’

Hampson, now 30, pays all across the infield and outfield, yet was non-tendered after the 2022 season by the Rockies and has since seen time with the likes of the Miami Marlins, Kansas CIty Royals, and Arizona Diamondbacks in a part-time utility role. As of Friday, he’s going to see time in that very same role as part of the Cincinnati Reds, who signed him to a big league deal this afternoon.

Swapping out Rece Hinds – who was optioned for Hampson – for a guy with a career .288 wOBA is precisely the kind of move that makes me want to rip every remaining hair out of my head. He’s a career .253/.323/.394 hitter against LHP, which is better than terrible, though keep in mind that 1279 of his career 1803 PA came as a member of the Rockies. In the three years since his Rockies days, he’s slugged a combined .330 in 524 PA.

I’m fine with this move if Hampson, like the third catcher the Reds are carrying without playing, never actually plays. Thing is, there are times and places where I’d like to see Rece Hinds play, and now that’s not an option, either.

It’s been a truly remarkable attempt at putting together an active roster lately for the Reds, though at least they’ll welcome back ace Hunter Greene to the mound as of today, too.

Garrett Hampson, folks! Welcome to the Reds!