Bubba Links
Baseball Links
Bubba worked with hitting coach Brook Jacoby yesterday.
Today, Narron talked a bit about the outfield situation:
Narron plans on carrying five outfielders and at the moment, already has four of those spots locked up for Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Ryan Freel and Jeff Conine. Hamilton is vying against Chris Denorfia, Norris Hopper and Bubba Crosby for consideration at the fifth spot. Narron also didn't rule out carrying a sixth outfielder if Freel was moved to the infield.
Because of his layoff and his past, Hamilton can be considered a long shot to break camp with the Reds. A lot will depend on if the Reds carry 11 or 12 pitchers, two or three catchers and injuries. Not wanting to risk losing someone with Hamilton's ability, Cincinnati will likely give him every opportunity to make the team.
Six outfielders sounds ridiculous, but Conine and Freel are infielders as well as outfielders, so I guess you could count them as 1/2 an outfielder each.
I still think it's a mistake to carry only Conine and Hamilton as reserve outfielders. With Dunn, Freel, and Griffey as the starters, you're going to need a solid backup - someone who is a defensive upgrade, and who can step in in case of injury.
Interesting that Narron is considering moving Freel back to the infield, though. Who would be the starter in RF then? Conine?
I still think the Reds should try to work a trade with Tampa so they can send Hamilton to the minors. Even if they can carry him all season on the 25-man roster, it wouldn't be good for him. He wouldn't get much playing time, and what he needs most is lots of at-bats. Warming the bench for a whole year would stunt his development. Yes, I know they did something similar with Wily Mo, but that was different. Hamilton has already missed four years. He'll be 26 years old in a couple of months. He really can't afford another year without playing.
Speaking of which...Joe Torre won't commit to giving Melky Cabrera three games a week. Last year, he said he'd rest one outfielder a day so Melky could play every day. Now he won't even commit to three games a week. Why am I not surprised?
Bobby Abreu will be out a couple of weeks with an oblique strain. And of course, the first question is whether this means an opening for Bernie. (Answer: no.)
