All Things Bubba

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pirates think Jose Tabata may be older than he claims. They don't say why they think that, and they say it doesn't matter to them, but of course, it does matter. If he's 21 in AAA, he's a stud. If he's 27, not so much.

This Bleacher Report post claims that Tabata nearly quit baseball in the weeks before the Yankees traded him, due to the stress of pro baseball and the expectations put on a top prospect. I hadn't heard that before. I know he was feeling pressure, and had done some things that got him disciplined.

He's probably better off with the Bucs. Less pressure there, and probably more of an opportunity. All in all, I can't say I disagree with the trade. I'm more bummed about the loss of Austin Jackson, who seems a lot more mature and grounded.

Meant to post this earlier, but apparently I saved it as a draft rather than posting it.

From Baseball America:

Kevin Cash signed with the Astros. Dan Giese re-signed with the A's. Freddy Guzman signed with the Phillies. Doug Bernier signed with Pirates. Heath Phillips signed with Rays.

Anthony Claggett and Steven Jackson were DFA'd by the Pirates. They cleared waivers, and were outrighted to the Pirates' Triple-A club, the Indianapolis Indians.

The Yankees traded infielder Mitch Hilligoss to the Rangers for outfielder Greg Golson. The Yanks seem to be stocking up on outfielders. Funny, they had such a glut of outfielders a few years ago. Now they're worried about running short.

And speaking of former Yankee outfielders...Bronson Sardinha signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. Sounds like he didn't get an invite to big league spring training; he'll be competing just to get a job with the AAA club. Still, that's good news, considering that he couldn't even get a job in the independent leagues last year. Josh Phelps also got a minor league deal with the Rockies.

Emmitt Smith is headed to the hall of fame. Hardly a surprise, but still great news. He fell to the Cowboys because many scouts thought he was too small and too slow to make it in the NFL. Now he's in the Hall of Fame. (And he won Dancing With the Stars, too. What a stud! ;-)

Jerry Rice also made it in the first year of his eligibility, to the surprise of no one. John Randle, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau are the others being inducted this year. Worthy players all, but as a lifelong Cowboys fan, Emmitt is dearest to my heart. Not least because he seems to be such a good guy. At least, he's never been arrested (unlike some of his teammates from those championship years).

Busy day today, and I'll be posting photos and such later, but I just had to offer my congratulations to one of the heroes of my youth. Way to go, Emmitt.

Things have been strange at work lately. Besides the economic issues (budget, layoffs, etc.), one of my coworkers died unexpectedly of a heart attack. K. was fairly young (in his 40s), wasn't overweight, and didn't smoke. It was a total shock. He left three young daughters.

My desk is across from his, and it's weird to look across and know he'll never be sitting there again. The worst is the phone calls. The first couple of days, my boss told us not to tell anyone that K. had died. I ended up saying, "Leave a message, and he'll call you back later" - which was of course a blatant lie. It wasn't much better when we were allowed to tell the truth. "I'm sorry to inform you he has passed away" sure is a quick way to kill a conversation.

Anyway, yesterday, the boss decided he needed to do something about morale. So he called a meeting. He couldn't quite bring himself to mention K.'s death. He kind of tapdanced around it, talking about the "rough start to the new year," the "loss of personnel," etc. Then he said he had something for us, to help us through this difficult time. And he passed out sheets of paper to each of us.

I was expecting maybe a list of counseling resources, or one of those corporate team-building exercises. No. It was a copy of the company policy on sexual harassment, complete with threats of discipline for non-compliance. It was so off-the-wall we were speechless. Near as I can tell, the boss searched the company documents for "workplace morale," and the sexual harassment policy came up. Because it says "sexual harassment is bad for workplace morale." And that's what he gave us.

The sad thing is he probably meant well. He is a good engineer, but like many engineers, hasn't made the transition to manager very well.

Labels: off-topic

Just a reminder - the Rice Alumni Baseball Game is this Saturday. They've posted a schedule of events for the day. There's an article here with a little more info. Admission is free!

The Reds acquired yet another shortstop today. They sent Adam Rosales and Willy Taveras to Oakland, in exchange for Aaron Miles and a PTBNL. This deal seemed more about each team getting rid of a liability than anything. It's hard to say who's happier: A's fans celebrating Miles' departure, or Reds fans celebrating Taveras'.

Adam Rosales was a rather polarizing player in Cincinnati. Some fans loved his scrappiness, calling him "Pete" Rosales. Others thought he was a liability on offense and defense. The A's supposedly wanted a cheap reserve guy who can play SS. I can only assume they've never seen Rosales play SS. He's also not that cheap, since they had to take the $4 million dollar man, Taveras, with him. (They've already DFA'd him.)

This means Janish has gone from the starting SS to fighting for a reserve infielder spot, against Miles, Drew Sutton, Miguel Cairo, etc.

Although Cabrera is a two-time Gold Glove winner -- with the Expos in 2001 and the Angels in '07 -- Janish is considered the stronger option defensively. He has more range and, after the Gonzalez trade to Boston in '09, led all Major League shortstops with a .995 fielding percentage.

However, Janish is a .205 career hitter in 128 big league games over the past two seasons. The 27-year-old did show improvement at the plate down the stretch last season, and hit 21 doubles in 256 at-bats overall.

Baker and second baseman Brandon Phillips both voiced approval last weekend for entering the 2010 season with Janish as the shortstop. Janish would have also been significantly cheaper for the budget-minded Reds. He is likely to make something near the $400,000 league minimum this year.

In the end, the Reds believed that Cabrera's track record as a hitter couldn't be ignored -- especially for a club that finished 15th out of 16 National League teams in hitting and 11th in runs scored.

"In our case, it means a lot," Jocketty said. "One area we felt we still had to improve was our offense. Obviously Paul is an excellent defensive shortstop, we were going to give him every opportunity to see him play on an everyday basis. But when this deal came to us where we could afford it, we felt we had to go forward."

I think Janish is very likely to get a roster spot, but how much playing time he'll get is another story. Supposedly, Jocketty has spoken to Dusty Baker and told him to make sure Janish gets a lot of playing time, so he can continue to develop. But Dusty hasn't been very good at giving his bench players at-bats in the past, and I don't see him starting now - not with durable workhorses like Orlando Cabrera at SS and Brandon Phillips at 2B. I suppose there might be some work available at 3B; Rolen is notoriously injury-prone. But I fear Janish will be buried on the bench as he was last year.

In other hot stove news, the Dodgers are interested in Chien-Ming Wang. (Torre does like to collect former Yankees, especially pitchers.) However, they don't think he'll be ready to play for another three months.

Labels: Paul Janish

Charlie Scrabbles of Red Reporter makes the argument for Paul Janish instead of Orlando Cabrera.

Even if he can just hit at replacement level, his defense makes him an above-average player. ‘Course, this assumes his defense is really THAT good, and it assumes that he can hit at replacement level. Neither of those events are slam-dunks, but it would be neat to see if it could happen. And with the team not likely to compete this season, it’s as good a time as any to experiment like that.

Janish’s glove really looks like it could be that special. Like one of the best in the league. There aren't many +15 shortstops out there, and I’d like to see that receive its due opportunity. He doesn't have to be a good hitter, or even an average hitter, but if he’s just not a terrible hitter, he could be a good player.

I'm ok with the Cabrera signing, but it proves one thing we’ve always known about this team: the management is never going to take a risk. Cabrera is a known-quantity. He’ll play 150 games this year and give you 1-1.5 WAR. That’s a fine deal at $3 million but there’s a possibility that Janish could be a 3 WAR player. It’s not a strong possibility, but it’d be fun to find out.

He explains why he thinks Janish could be a 3 WAR player:

Let’s say Janish is a +15 defender. Give him +8 for a position adjustment, +20 for a replacement adjustment, and -15 with the bat. that’s a +28 player, or 2.8 WAR. Given a full year’s playing time, I don't think any of these assumptions are all that unreasonable. The batting runs are probably the most generous on my part, but even if he’s -23 with the bat that makes him a 2 WAR player. Getting an average player as your starting SS is nothing to sneeze at.

That pretty much sums it up for me, too. And yeah, I'm annoyed because I like Janish and want him to get a shot, but it's more than that. I think the Reds' whole philosophy is wrong. They keep trying to win now, and build for the future at the same time. I don't think that's possible, unless you're the Yankees. I'm not sure it's smart even for the Yankees. For a small market team like the Reds, it's disastrous. They end up failing at both.

Labels: Paul Janish

Orlando Cabrera will be the Reds' shortstop. Or so tweets Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.

He says it's a one-year deal for $3 million, with an option for another year for another $3 million. Cabrera wasn't willing to move to 2B, as the Rockies wanted him to.

IMVHO...that's just nuts. Three million for a player who is marginally better than Janish at best, and possibly worse?

Janish will probably become the invisible man again. Cabrera is very durable, and rarely misses a game. Which means Janish is likely to be spending a lot of time on the bench.

On the bright side, he may get some more chances to improve his ERA.

Labels: Paul Janish

Reds beat writer John Fay is reporting that the Reds are confident they'll land Orlando Cabrera.

A Reds source says the club is very confident that Orlando Cabrera will accept the club’s offer. The Denver Post reported that Orlando Cabrera is “leaning toward” signing with the Reds. That likely means he’s told the Rockies they’re out [of] it. A third team may be involved.

I don’t expect an announcement tonight from the Reds on Cabrera or Jonny Gomes. The Reds will will likely wait until Monday to announce a deal.

In all likelihood, this means Cabrera will be the Reds' starting SS. The Reds are not contending this year, and they say they're already over budget. So if Cabrera is leaning towards the Reds, it's because they promised him he'd be the starting SS, while the other teams wanted him to be a backup or move to 2B.

Ugh. I really, really hate this. Not just because I want to see Janish get a shot, but because Cabrera is simply not that good.

I can understand the Reds wanting a veteran backup for Janish. In case he's injured, or in case it turns out that he just can't cut it. But I'd rather they get a guy who's willing to be a backup. Janish needs to play every day.

If this goes through, it probably means Miguel Cairo goes to Louisville. If Cabrera's the starter, then Janish will be the utility infielder.

In other news, this story from Japan mentions Andy Phillips. Apparently, there's another foreign player studmuffin in town.

Right-hander Tony Barnette hasn't yet thrown a pitch for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, but chances are he'll look good doing it.

Barnette's looks have been a topic of discussion for the Japanese media, who are busy trying to decide whether he looks like Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves or a combination of the two.

...Barnette isn't the first player to arrive in Japan and be deemed to have movie star looks. Former Hiroshima Carp infielder Andy Phillips arrived to the same fanfare last season.

Phillips, who signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles this offseason, was said by the Japanese media to resemble Cruise and Brad Pitt among others.

I dunno. They're good-looking guys, but don't particularly remind me of Tom Cruise. Maybe to the Japanese media, all white people look alike. ;-)

Labels: Andy Phillips, Paul Janish

Reds beat writer John Fay has a couple of videos from Reds Caravan.

(Reds Caravan is an off-season thing the Reds do. They send various players, staff, and announcers around the very large Reds territory to meet with fans. They also do Redsfest in December, where fans pay to get in to see the players, buy Reds game-used stuff, etc. Too bad the Yankees don't do anything like that, but there would probably be a riot if they did.)

Anyway, in the first video, Brandon Phillips talks about giving Janish a chance, and Janish is interviewed in the second one. He says he's more confident than he's ever been going into spring training, because he's practicing more mindfully. (Which is good. According to research, deliberate practice - not just any old practice - is the path to greatness.)

Unfortunately, it look like the Reds are serious about Orlando Cabrera. Ugh. Please, please, no.

In other hot stove news, Jose Veras signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, and the Jays are reportedly interested in Johnny Damon. Ironic if he ends up in Toronto. The Yankees usually rested him in Toronto, because they felt the turf was bad for his oft-injured legs. Though I suppose he could DH.

Labels: Paul Janish

A lot of trade rumors today. I hope they're not true, because for the most part, I don't like them.

Baseball Prospectus has an interview with Terry Reynolds, the Cincinnati Reds' Director of Player Development. He had this to say about Paul Janish:

DL: Three of the more highly-regarded young shortstops in the organization are Zach Cozart, Paul Janish, and Chris Valaika. You probably aren’t willing to say which one it is, but does the organization view any one of the three as the most likely to become the Reds’ long-term shortstop?

TR: Um … I would say that the answer to that is yes. But it is a luxury to have all three, and the nice thing is that behind them we have Kris Negron, Miguel Rojas, [Billy] Hamilton and [Mariekson] Gregorius. We’ve got some depth at that position, and this is the first time since I’ve been here that I’ve been able to say that. So it’s a nice position to be in, and Paul Janish is a major-league shortstop. Until I hear different, he’s the guy. That’s the assumption I’m going under, and I would say that it’s his job to lose.

Meanwhile, at Red Reporter, they are discussing the merits of signing Orlando Cabrera vs. staying in-house with Janish. Former sports writer Tim Stephens says:

Janish and Maicer Izturis put up somewhat similar slash lines in the minors. Izturis went on to be a respectable hitter. There’s hope for Janish with the bat. His glove could well be more of a difference maker than Cabrera’s bat.

Others point out that Cabrera is projected for a 0.5 WAR and Janish for 1.3. Cabrera may have a better bat, but it's not good enough to make up for his poor defense. Janish's defense is so good he'll pull his weight even if he doesn't hit.

And yet...MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that the Reds are pursuing Orlando Cabrera. Arrrghhh. Why??? How can a team that's always complaining about having no money throw $3 million at an aging player who's worse than their in-house option?

And you'd think they'd know better. The Reds have been repeatedly burned on overpriced veterans: Mike Stanton, Alex Gonzalez, Corey Patterson, Willy Taveras. You'd think they'd realize they need to look in-house, or at least at inexpensive minor leaguers. I swear, if they sign O-Cab I'll know Jocketty's brain-dead.

And on the Yankees front...Joel Sherman reports that Yankees are still interested in acquiring a right-handed outfielder. Perhaps Marcus Thames, Rocco Baldelli, or Jonny Gomes.

That would mean an awfully crowded outfield. Sherman suggests Gardner could be sent down...or traded. He says the Reds, Padres, White Sox and Royals have all expressed interest in having Gardner be their starting CFer.

I find it really odd that the Reds would be interested in Gardner. Don't get me wrong, I love Gardy, but the Reds have in-house options that are as good or better. Drew Stubbs, their 2006 first round draft pick, was called up last season and was pretty impressive for a rookie. And Chris Heisey awaits in Louisville. Neither of them is a proven major league starter, but neither is Gardner at this point. The Reds have a wealth of outfielders; why would they be interested in Gardner?

Ugh. I'm going to be bummed if Gardner is traded or Janish is benched.

Labels: Paul Janish

Following in the footsteps of Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips, Miguel Cairo has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Reds fans aren't too enthused, but I think this could be a good move for them. I was just thinking that they really need a backup infielder. In particular, a guy who can play SS. It looks like Paul Janish is going to be their starting SS, but that leaves no one on the roster who can back him up. Adam Rosales and Drew Sutton might all right for a game or two, but if Janish went on the DL or something (knock on wood), it would be ugly.

I haven't seen much of Miggy since he and the Yanks parted ways, but I remember him as having an excellent glove at SS. He could play the other infield positions, too, and was even the Yankees' emergency catcher. The Reds could use someone like that...if his skills haven't eroded too much. I think he has a chance to make the roster; I'd rather have him than Adam Rosales.

And of course, the really big news today: Randy Winn signed with the Yankees. Which means the Yanks will probably pass on Johnny Damon. Meanwhile, Xavier Nady has signed with the Cubs.

Mike Silva thinks the failure to come to terms with either Damon or Nady is a reflection of the Yankees' poor relationship with their agent: Scott Boras.

I have to say, Randy Winn seems like an odd choice. They already have a boatload of lefties, and Winn isn't good against southpaws. I can't help thinking that they may yet sign another outfielder.