Soft J is no longer a Cincinnati Red
By
Zeldink
Posted at 10:35 pm
Paul Janish stretching before the game
In parts of four seasons with the Reds, from 2008-2011, Janish hit .221 with 7 homers and 70 RBIs. His fielding percentage at shortstop in 2009 was .991; in 2010, it was .981; and in 2011, it was .974. He also pitched in two games in 2009, allowing 11 earned runs in two innings, walking two and striking out three.
Janish was a fifth-round pick of the Reds in June of 2004. He’s 29 years old. He was hitting .237 this season for the Bats at the time of the trade.
How could we ever forget Janish’s pitching performance in 2009? Over the course of 2 innings, he allowed 11 runs, all earned. He struck out 3 and finished the year with a 49.50 ERA. There’s just something so awesome about position players pitching, and I greatly enjoyed Janish bullpen-saving effort.
Janish had a solid year in 2009 and finally got his chance to be a starter in 2010, but was unable to grab hold of that opportunity. I always liked the guy, and enjoyed watching his defensive prowess. My son has an autographed ball of his from the final year of Spring Training in Sarasota, Florida. Hopefully, Janish will get a chance to succeed in Atlanta.
For him, the Reds received Todd Redmond, a 27 year-old right-handed pitcher. He’s never appeared in the majors, but this year in AAA, he’s 6-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts. And he strikes out about one batter an inning, with 96 strikeouts in 105 2/3.
The Reds have used just 5 starters to this point in the 2012 season, but the odds are that is unlikely to continue. At this point, I’d be hard pressed to say who they could call up to cover for a starter out for a few starts. This trade will help that. And with shortstops Didi Gregorious and Billy Hamilton getting closer to the majors and Zack Cozart doing very well in the majors, dealing Janish was dealing from a position of strength. Overall, it seems like a trade that could benefit both teams.