All Things Bubba

John Erardi notes that Dusty Baker, contrary to his reputation, has stood by his young players during his Reds tenure. In particular, he kept starting Drew Stubbs even when the kid was in a deep slump.

But he wonders if Paul Janish will get the same loyalty. If the team starts out slow, Dusty may not be able to resist going with Edgar Renteria instead.

Orlando Cabrera has signed with the Cleveland Indians. He will compete for the 2B job. Yup, he went from guaranteed starting SS last year to competing for the 2B position this year.

The Reds made a mistake signing Orlando Cabrera as their starting shortstop last year. His age, declining performance, and the fact that no other team would offer him the starting SS position should have been a clue for Walt Jocketty. Perhaps he thought if Cabrera sucked, they could go with Janish after all...but he should have known Dusty would never do that.

This year, it's a little different. Janish is the putative starter. Walt and Dusty both say Renteria is the backup, and that they'll try him at 2B and 3B. You get the feeling that Walt was trying to discourage Dusty from starting the declining vet over the young in-house option this time. Still...I hope Janish comes out of the gate hot.

Labels: Paul Janish