Will Benson’s benching raises questions Reds fans don’t want answered

Will Benson has barely seen the field since the All-Star break. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder hasn't started the past four games — though two of those games were against left-handed pitchers — and fans are beginning to wonder what in the world is going on.

Benson finally got into a game on Monday night against the Washington Nationals. The 27-year-old was a defensive replacement on the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out on three straight pitches in the top of the ninth.

Benson was the hero during the Reds' 4-3 against the Colorado Rockies on July 12. His game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth helped Cincinnati avoid an embarrassing series loss to one of the worst teams in the league, though his celebratory reaction to that clutch hit stirred up some controversy between Benson and manager Terry Francona.

Will Benson’s benching raises questions Reds fans don’t want answered

Benson's game-tying triple a little over a week ago came with an admiring stare from the Reds right fielder. Benson — thinking he'd connected on a walk-off home run — saw the ball fall a few feet short of clearing the wall. He then got on his horse and hustled around the bases all the way to third, but one has to wonder if he could've actually scored had he not admired the ball on its way to outfield.

Though the Reds went on to win the game, Francona was none too pleased during the postgame press conference. "Will took a gorgeous swing," Francona told the media after the game before cringing. "Might've watched it a little too long, which I don't think is ever going to happen again. I pretty much guarantee that."

Following David Bell's dismissal at the end of last season, Reds fans were pleading for the front office to find a new manager who would hold players accountable. Is that's what's going on here? Maybe.

Reds outfielder Jake Fraley has outplayed Will Benson this month

The other side of the coin suggests that Benson may be on the trade block. Not necessarily because of his showboating during the game against the Rockies, but rather the presence of Jake Fraley on the roster and Cincinnati's increased need for bullpen help at the trade deadline.

Benson, who still has multiple years of team control and minor-league options remaining, could be exactly the type of player that would intrigue a rebuilding organization like the Miami Marlins or Chicago White Sox at the MLB trade deadline.

Or, it could simply be that Fraley is hitting the cover off the ball right now and Francona is riding the hot hand. Fraley was red-hot before a shoulder ailment landed him on the injured list, and is 6-for-11 since returning from his brief stint on the IL. Benson, on the other hand, is hitting just .184 with a 47 wRC+ in July.

So while some Reds fans may feel as though Benson deserves more at-bats, the numbers don't bear that out. Though a trade may not be part of the equation at all, if Cincinnati's brass doesn't see Benson as part of the long-term solution in right field, perhaps it is time to move on.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors