Today, the Reds announced that they acquired first baseman/corner outfielder Jeff Conine from the Phillies. They traded two low-level prospects for him, and DFA'd infielder Brendan Harris to clear space on the roster.
Jeff Conine?! I hope he plays mostly first base, because his fielding stats in the outfield have fallen off a cliff that past couple of years. As you might expect of a guy his age. The Reds did want a right-handed bat. And his ability to play both infield and outfield will doubtless come in handy in the NL. He probably won't play every day, given his age.
Still, I'm reminded of when Bubba was with the Dodgers. He was leading the PCL, hitting .361 with 24 doubles and 12 homers at Triple-A Las Vegas. He thought he was finally going to get his shot. But the Dodgers decided to sign Rickey Henderson instead. The 44-year-old Rickey Henderson. Who ended up hitting .208.
In other news...the Reds have added an extra game to their spring training schedule. It's Saturday, 2:00pm, March 31, against the Marlins at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio.
It will be a split-squad game, since the Reds are also scheduled to play in Florida that afternoon.
And gee, the Reds sent me a Christmas card. The Yankees didn't send me one.
