All Things Bubba

Ramiro Pena at bat

Longtime Yankee farmhand Ramiro Pena signed a big league deal with the Atlanta Braves today. It's not likely that both he and Paul Janish will be carried on the roster.

Pena, a former New York Yankee who has played shortstop, third base, and second base, provides the Braves another backup shortstop given the uncertainty of when Paul Janish might return. Janish, whom the Braves also signed to a one-year deal, underwent surgery for a torn labrum on his non-throwing shoulder and might need an additional two to four weeks at the start of the season.

Janish has minor league options remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Gwinnett without going through waivers. Pena is out of options.

Like Janish, Pena is outstanding defensively. And the Braves don’t have another near major-league ready player in their organization who fits that profile.

I'm kind of surprised that Pena got a big league deal. I don't think he's all that great on defense. (Admittedly based on a small sample size.) He's not very good with the stick, either. No power at all. Janish looks like Barry Bonds in comparison.

I'm also surprised to find out Janish still has an option left. I'd assumed he’d burned an option in 2011 when he was sent down. But if Wikipedia is correct, he was called up 18 days later when Cozart put his elbow in front of a speeding baserunner.

You have to be in the minors 20 days for it to count (I think), so 2011 didn't count. He was two days short.

Labels: Paul Janish, Ramiro Pena