Wednesday, January 27, 1999
Baerga likely to opt for Cards over Reds
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Even the deals the Reds don't make reflect their commitment to younger players.
The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to announce soon that they have signed infielder Carlos Baerga as a potential starter at second base. Baerga was said to be considering the Reds as seriously, but thought he'd play more in St. Louis.
With Cincinnati, Baerga would have backed up either Pokey Reese at second base or Aaron Boone at third.
Other veterans signed with the Reds this offseason only after being told that their primary position would be a seat on the bench. For example, General Manager Jim Bowden said Hal Morris, formerly the Reds' everyday first baseman, agreed to play behind Sean Casey upon rejoining Cincinnati.
Though Baerga, 30, hasn't played at an elite level since he helped the Cleveland Indians reach the 1995 World Series, the three-time All-Star hit .266 as a serviceable regular last season for the Mets.
“We don't want to change our course,” Bowden said. “Baerga wanted to play everyday and we made our commitment to Pokey Reese and Aaron Boone. The deciding factor was the fact that we were dedicated to our young players.”
Even without Baerga, the Reds have more experienced backups. Morris and infielder Mark Lewis were regulars last year. Catcher Brian Johnson appeared in 99 games with San Francisco and could play just as much, depending on Eddie Taubensee's recovery from wrist surgery.
Barring a trade, two outfielders from the contingent of Mike Cameron, Jeffrey Hammonds, Reggie Sanders and Michael Tucker will begin the year as reserves or in a platoon; all have recorded at least 400 plate appearances in a season.
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