John Fay on Adam Dunn

Dunn’s a stand-up guy. Good game or bad game, he’s there to talk. He’s funny, self-deprecating – probably to a fault – and unafraid to speak his mind.

He’s a regular guy – if a regular guy can be 6 feet 6 and 275 pounds, hit the ball 500 feet and make $13 million a year.

As much as I like Dunn, I’m not sure I would have advocated signing him long-term three or four years ago.

But there’s been a difference in him the last couple of years. He’s more mature – having a wife and kid will do that. He’s more serious about the game. He came in last year determined to be a better fielder and, though he didn’t win a Gold Glove, he went from 13 errors to six.

But, most important, he’s become a leader. He’ll call out guys. The karaoke event he organized last week was one of the best things the Reds have done for new players in a long time.

It’s hard to say what the chances are of the Reds reaching a deal with Dunn.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Dunn said.

Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky confirmed that no talks are going on.
“It’s something we’ll have to address at some point,” he said.

Whether the deal ultimately gets done probably will come down to how the team plays.
If the Reds win early and Dunn performs as usual – 40 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs and 100 walks – Castellini will work out a deal.