Not since July 20, 2001, have the Cincinnati Reds been in this predicament.

That’s the day that they called up Adam Dunn from the minors, a move that would give them a left fielder for years to come. He was a fixture there until last season, when the Reds traded him to Arizona.

Earlier this month, Dunn signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Washington, which already had a glut of outfielders. Meanwhile, the Reds have developed a glut of players trying to take his former spot in left field.

It’s the only starting job that’s open during the Reds’ spring training. Manager Dusty Baker is approaching it with an open mind, ready to give six players a chance to impress him during spring games.

Chris Dickerson got the job after Dunn was traded last season and did well, but the Reds aren’t sure whether it was a temporary upturn to an average career. The 26-year-old outfielder has a .255 career average.

He’s likely to have the best shot at winning the job. He batted .304 with six homers in 31 games after the Reds called him up, playing solid defense as well.

‘‘What’s the point of coming out here if you don’t feel you’re going to win a spot?’’ Dickerson said. ‘‘I don’t come out here to sit on the bench.’’

His top challenger could be Jerry Hairston Jr., who batted .326 with six homers and 15 stolen bases in 80 games last season. Hairston is one of the Reds’ most versatile players, so it’s unlikely he’ll get tied down to one spot.

Hairston doesn’t think he’s in the competition for a steady job in left field.

‘‘I don’t look at it that way,’’ he said. ‘‘I play all over.’’

The Reds also have Jonny Gomes, Jacque Jones, Norris Hopper and minor leaguer Laynce Nix in the competition, though none of them is coming off an impressive season. Hopper had reconstructive elbow surgery last year.

Dickerson thinks that his solid showing after his late-season promotion can translate into a full-time job.

‘‘Absolutely,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a lot about timing. I had just finished my best month of the year (before his promotion). I felt like I wasn’t intimidated. I knew what I was capable of. I settled into the whole big league atmosphere. I took the same approach. When you do that, you’re going to have success.

‘‘Taking that mind-set and bringing that into this year, it’s almost like having a head start.’’