Right-hander Justin Dunn is holding a showcase for scouts on Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. Just a few weeks after his 29th birthday, Dunn is looking to exhibit both his pitching repertoire and his health after missing essentially two full seasons. Dunn was limited to 3 1/3 innings in the Reds’ farm system in 2023 due to a rotator cuff issue and then a shoulder surgery in September of that year, and he didn’t pitch at all this season while rehabbing from that procedure.
A highly-touted arm during his time at Boston College, Dunn was picked 19th overall by the Mets in the 2016 draft. His time in New York’s pipeline didn’t last long, as he was one of the headline pieces of the five-player trade package the Mets sent to the Mariners in December 2018 for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. Back in March 2022, Dunn was part of another prominent deal when Seattle moved him, Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson, and Connor Phillips to the Reds in exchange for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker.
Dunn was already dealing with shoulder problems at the time of the latter trade, though the Reds were aware and made the deal anyway, perhaps since their primary concern was dumping salary rather than maximizing the player return. This injury-marred 2022 season saw Dunn post a 6.10 ERA over seven starts and 31 innings for Cincinnati, and he hasn’t since pitched in the majors. Dunn opted into minor league free agency last winter after the Reds outrighted him off their 40-man roster.
While injuries have thrown a roadblock into Dunn’s career, he had a respectable 3.94 ERA over 102 2/3 innings and 25 starts with the Mariners during the 2019-21 seasons. That ERA comes with a few asterisks, however, as Dunn has benefited from some good fortune despite shaky peripherals. A .215 career BABIP has been the biggest helper, since Dunn hasn’t missed many bats (19.3% strikeout rate) and struggled with his control (14.7% walk rate) during his brief MLB career.
Even when Dunn was appearing near the back of top-100 prospect lists, some scouts felt relief pitching was a better path for his big league future than a rotation job. Dunn might well explore such a role change as a nod to his arm health or simply to better his results, but at this point, he is surely open to whatever contract offers might be on the table. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him land a minor league deal and a Spring Training invitation from this showcase, as he represents a no-risk flier for teams looking for pitching depth.
