All Things Bubba

I am back home, safe and sound, if rather tired of driving. (It took me two 11-hour days behind the wheel to get from Florida to New York. Next time, I'm bringing a friend to share the driving. I thought none of my friends was interested. Turns out, one of them was, but she thought I was flying, and didn't want to shell out for plane tickets. If she'd known I was driving, she'd have come.)

Though I have to say, I enjoy vacationing by myself once in awhile. You can do exactly what you want, when you want, without worrying about whether everyone else is having fun. No arguing over which restaurant to go to, what to do, etc. I went to six baseball games in six days. And stayed to the very end of all of them, despite blistering heat and freezing cold. Dunno how many of my friends and family would be up for that.

Of course, the Reds made all kinds of moves today, while I was offline, battling traffic on I-95. They returned their other Rule 5 pick, optioned Bill Bray to the minors...and reassigned Andy Phillips to minor league camp.

Even more shocking, they are cutting Mike Stanton. Holy guacamole, I didn't see this coming. I thought he'd be given at least a couple of months to prove himself, if only because of his $3 million salary. The Reds are going to have to eat that now.

I confess, I didn't think Andy Phillips had much of a chance of making the big league roster when he signed with Cincinnati. Nothing against him; the Reds were just very well-stocked with infielders already. But the way he played the last few days, I was starting to think he might get the last roster spot.

I guess it's not to be. Jerry Hairston and Jolbert Cabrera have not been cut yet. They more versatile players (defensively) than Andy; they've both played SS and CF, as well as the corner OFer and infield positions that Andy plays. And they are veterans with years of experience. Dusty said earlier this season that that's what he was looking for in a utility player: a veteran who wouldn't be bothered by failure.

Bubba had a major league deal last year, and was on the roster, so he had to clear waivers and accept assignment to the minors before they could send him to Louisville. I don't think that's the case with Andy. Andy was signed to a minor league deal, and was not on the roster. So I don't think he has a choice. He's a Louisville Bat now; he cannot refuse the assignment and become a free agent.

Of course, the Reds might call him up if someone gets injured. Or they could trade him to a team that needs him more than they do.

At least he'll be playing somewhere. I'd be thrilled if Bubba was playing for Louisville this year.