All Things Bubba

Reds beat reporter John Fay reports that Cincinnati has signed former Yankee Craig Wilson.

I wasn't expecting this, I must say. Last I heard, it was the Mets who were going to sign him.

Wilson was traded to the Yankees in 2006, in part because he was about to become a free agent, and the Pirates expected him to get $5 or 6 million a year - more than they wanted to pay.

But he never played well for the Yankees, and was truly awful in 2007 for Atlanta. They released him, and the White Sox signed him to a minor league deal. He was awful there, too...but it turns out there was a reason. He had a chronic shoulder injury, and in June, he finally had surgery for it. It ended his season.

If he can bounce back from the surgery to be anything like his former self, this is a bargain for the Reds. He could be the replacement for Jeff Conine: righty bat off the bench, half of a first base platoon, occasional corner outfielder. Wilson actually came up as a catcher, so he could be an emergency catcher, too - always welcome, especially in the NL. (The Reds were notorious for carrying three catchers last year. Maybe if Wilson makes the roster, they can get by with only two.)

This could be bad news for Andy Phillips, though. Craig Wilson will be in direct competition with Andy. Wilson has had more big league success, can play more positions, and is only a few months older.

I think Wilson had the same kind of shoulder surgery as Bubba had, only he had it a month earlier.