The irony is they had one. What they've so desperately needed, they once possessed.

But foolishly, they let him get away. Or more precisely, they gave him away.

Now, the Reds are paying a heavy price for having sent him elsewhere. The void that his departure created has proven to be a chasm too large to fill.

His absence from the lineup has significantly weakened the offense. Without his solid bat, Cincy's attack has become much more popgun than topgun. 

There's just no getting around it.

Austin Kearns, you've been missed! And how.

This reporter was never on board with the eight-player swap between the Reds and Washington that sent Kearns to the nation's capitol.

Besides giving up talented shortstop Felipe Lopez, G.M. Wayne Krivsky also included the highly regarded Kearns as part of that mega-deal.

By doing do, he greatly diminished his team's firepower and ability to put up runs.

On balance, the Reds have compensated for losing Lopez because the consistent Rich Aurila has swung a very good bat.

But filling Kearns' shoes has been an entirely different manner.

Oh sure, Ryan Freel has had his moments both at the plate and in the field but his lack of power can't be overlooked or minimized.

Freel is a table-setter who's gifted at scoring runs but not all that special at producing them.

And the fact remains that right field should be a power position and not one manned by someone more adept at playing small ball.

Since Kearns left the Queen City, very few RBI have been coming out of position number nine. And forget about homers. They've been virtually non-existent. The bombs are long gone.

When the Reds said goodbye to the 6-3, 235-pound Kearns, they unwisely bid adieu to that which they were ill equipped to replace.

Namely, a reliable power hitter who knew how to drive in runs.

Sure, it's nice to have players who can get aboard but those who can push them across are much more valuable.

Kearns was one of those guys and they're not all that easy to find as the Reds are now discovering.

Since having left the Reds' employ right after the All-Star break, the 26 year-old Kearns has whacked seven homers and plated 24 runs.

Who knows how many more games the Reds might have won if they had been the beneficiary of that production. Moreover, those numbers probably would have been even more imposing had he remained in Cincinnati because the Great American Ball Park is much kinder to hitters than is DC's RFK Stadium.

There are also other significant factors that, in retrospect, make shedding Kearns look so questionable.

To begin with, Kearns has a splendid arm and is an asset with the glove.

Moreover, he's a class act. He's popular with his teammates and is the kind of player who helps create a positive atmosphere in the locker room.

No one, least of all Krivsky, will deny that losing Kearns didn't adversely affect team chemistry. When he left, his departure was sorely felt by those who remained. To many, it was almost like losing a brother.

Generally, when you lose a good guy, it's not a good thing! Having to say so long to Kearns genuinely pained a majority of the Reds.

So, if he could do it all over again, one wonders whether Krivsky would still pull the trigger on what has become the most controversial and as of now, the most dubious trade of his tenure with the Reds.

Ultimately, his decision to move Kearns may prove to be a difficult burden to bear.

Only time will tell. But meanwhile, the Reds continue to scuffle for runs and sure could have used another steady bat to help the cause.

A bat like the one wielded by Austin Kearns.

But Cincy lost him. They gave him away. They deemed him expendable.

And now the Reds are much worse off for having done so. They are nowhere near the team without him that they were with him. 

Replacing Kearns, both the player and the man, is proving to be no easy task.