Reds don't talk Dunn

Given the chance to defend Adam Dunn in the wake of J.P. Ricciardi's uncalled for criticism that Dunn didn't like baseball enough to be traded for, Walt Jocketty kind of side-stepped the query.

Asked Monday what he thought of Dunn as a player, Reds GM Walt Jocketty said: "I'd rather not comment. You look at his run production. But it's not my position to give a scouting report on him. I like him as a player. He's someone we're going to have to decide on. He's still young, so that's not a factor."

Not surprising to see Jocketty tight-lipped, but why didn't anyone with the Reds come to his defense? The Enquirer says it's for one of two reasons: first, the Reds don't want to pump him up too much with free-agency looming, or second - they don't want to talk about his flaws because they'll trade him.

Fantasy Impact: Dunn's numbers have taken a tumble recently. He's hitting just .219, but does have 18 home runs. He's a three-category guy at best, so as long as he's hitting bombs, scoring runs and knocking them in, don't worry much about the average.