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2011 didn't turn out quite like Paul Janish or the Reds had hoped. Mark Sheldon thinks Janish took his struggles at the plate into the field:
Janish is known for playing excellent defense, but could not get it together at the plate last season. He batted only .214 and had a two-week stint in Louisville in July before being recalled because of Cozart's injury. Janish's confidence issues as a hitter might have seeped into his defense, as he made 12 errors.
That thought had crossed my mind as well. Janish's defense was still excellent, but he had a bunch of errors that were quite unlike him. And in September, when the pressure was off, he not only hit a lot better, he had no errors.
Sheldon still thinks Janish has a chance to win the starting job:
Until a season-ending left elbow injury, Cozart was impressive for the Reds, batting .307 with two home runs and playing well defensively. But he only had 11 big league games to show what he could do. It's enough to give him the inside track on the job heading into camp, but the Reds are looking around for a backup just in case. Paul Janish, who lost the starting job last season, is looking for a turnaround year and could be an alternative.
I hope he overcomes his "confidence issues," if only because I love watching him play SS.
A lot of Reds fans, and even some in the media, were talking about signing David Aardsma to close. They were apparently unaware that Aardsma had Tommy John surgery in July, and will likely miss next year. He expects to be back next July, but IMO, that's over-optimistic. Pitchers always think they can be back in a year, but 18 months is more typical. At least to be fully effective. The Reds will have to look elsewhere for a closer.
Labels: Paul Janish
