That’s my feeling anyway. Manager Dusty Baker went so far as to start Miguel Cairo at first base Wednesday, yet the Reds beat the Diamondbacks 6-2 to complete a three-game sweep in Arizona.
Cairo, who entered the game with a .168/.198/.264 line in 125 at-bats this season, went 0-for-4. It should be noted that this is hardly the first time Cairo has played first for Cincinnati this year; he’s started 14 games there and hit .200 with two walks and three extra-base hits in 50 at-bats.
But the really astonishing thing is that the last couple of times Cairo has started at first base, Todd Frazier has played third with Scott Rolen resting. So, not only is Cairo one of the game’s weakest hitters, but Baker also seems to think he’s a worse third baseman than Frazier, a guy who has never been known for his defense. In fact, Cairo has played 136 innings at first base this year and just 107 innings elsewhere (69 at third, 38 at second).
Of course, none of this has really hurt the Reds at all, considering they’re sitting pretty with the game’s best record. They could go ahead and try Chris Heisey at short if they wanted to and still finish atop the NL Central. Consider that they’ve gotten two homers in four starts from Dioner Navarro, this really does seem to be their year.
