5 moves from the Cincinnati Reds 2021 season that didn't work out

3. The Reds late-season pick up of infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera.

The Cincinnati Reds made a move late in the year that many, myself included, applauded. Cincinnati claimed infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. While not an earth-shattering signing by any means, adding Cabrera to the roster gave the Reds a veteran presence off the bench.

The move made all the sense in the world. Cabrera was a veteran of many playoff teams and Cincinnati was in the playoff hunt. A switch-hitter, Cabrera could give David Bell's team some solid at-bats late in a game or be a defensive replacement at any number of infield positions.

Oh, how wrong we all were. Cabrera was an unmitigated disaster off the Reds bench. The 36-year-old immediately received a start after joining the Redlegs and promptly went 0-for-3 with two punch outs. But that was just the beginning.

Asdrúbal Cabrera entered a slump that would see him make 27 consecutive plate appearances before recording his first hit as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Cabrera finally singled in his third at-bat versus his former team, the Washington Nationals, on September 26th.

Initially seen as the type of savvy move that shrewd front office executives make down the stretch, the addition of Asdrúbal Cabrera was nothing short of horrendous. I bet the Reds are wishing they could've given those handful of ABs to any number of players on the team's Triple-A roster.