Did Rece Hinds Receive Fair Opportunity With Cincinnati Reds?

A closer look at Rece Hinds' time with the Reds.

Jun 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (57) runs onto the field before the game against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Cincinnati Reds made the announcement that the organization would be trading Rece Hinds to the Miami Marlins.

In exchange for Hinds, the Reds received right-handed pitcher Zach McCambley, who was drafted by the Marlins in the third round back in 2020.

The future was bleak for Hinds in Cincinnati. Back on May 17th, the team designated Hinds for assignment. While the trade may not be a shocker, there is an interesting statistic that may have many wondering if Hinds was given a fair shot with the franchise.

More Opportunites

Jun 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (57) runs to third on a single hit by third baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

ESPN Radio host Mo Egger shared Hinds' career plate appearances with the Reds, compared to others around the same time frame. Those numbers are a clear indication that Hinds did not get the same chances that many others have had.

Hinds had just 131 plate appearances with the Reds. Egger also shared the plate appearances from Will Benson (1,124), Aristides Aquino (762), and Noelvi Marte (756). It appears the Reds had a lot more faith in three other players over Hinds. So why wasn't Hinds given this time of opportunity in the big leagues?

Time and time again, Hinds proved to be a major bat in AAA. This season, Hinds is batting .306 with an OBP of .423. If he stays on that pace, Hinds will have the best season of his career in the minor leagues. Unfortunately, those numbers never translated to his time with the Reds.

Apr 24, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (57) runs to second after hitting a double in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Hinds appeared in just 12 games this season with the Reds. In that time, he had 36 plate appearances. Those numbers show that Hinds did not make the most of his opportunities. In those 36 plate appearances, the former Louisville Bats slugger had just four hits and struck out 18 times. In his career with the Reds, Hinds had 131 plate appearances and struck out 55 times. That's the kind of number that would even shock Adam Dunn.

If you want to argue that Hinds wasn't given a fair shot with the Reds, the numbers are there to back up your stance. However, the numbers are also there to make the case that Hinds didn't deserve another chance with Cincinnati.

This could be one of those times when a fresh start is needed. Maybe Hinds finds the confidence he needs in a new landscape. There's one thing everyone can agree on, and that's if he does figure out at the major league level, the Marlins will have a heavy bat in their lineup.