Today’s first-inning gem: Fairly, ignoring the insanity of batting Rey Sanchez #2 (as close as I remember it): “I don’t think enough has been said about the acquisition of Rey Sanchez. The Mariners needed (blah blah blah…). Sanchez plays a solid shortstop, and he can hit, too. He didn’t hit so well this year with the Mets, but he didn’t the chance to play very much, either.”
Readers know I’m pro-Sanchez in the role of defensive stopgap, but batting him #2 is crazy. And can he hit? Tossing out 2003, as Ron would have you do, Sanchez’ career line is .275/.311/.338. Sure, he can hit… in a strict-constructionist sort of sense, as in “sometimes, Sanchez can get a hit”.
Still, batting Sanchez #2 demonstrates another of Box Melvin’s issues: once he’s set up something (like a batting order), he’s loathe to change it. If Guillen was #2, and Guillen’s injured, then more than likely Guillen’s replacement bats #2, unless he flips Winn back to #2 and then… you see how this goes. Clearly there are better options for the #2 spot, but for the sake of consistency, et cetera, Melvin’s got Sanchez #2 so everyone else can stay put.
I see a lot of posts out there in the wild advocating sending Freddy Garcia to Tacoma to work out his problems. This can’t happen.
Freddy came up in 1999, and has four full years of service time where he’s been on the 25-man major league roster, injured or not. A player only has three option years, where the team can send him up and down as many times as they want.
If the team attempts to send Freddy down, Freddy would have three choices:
– accept the assignment
– refuse the assignment
– become a free-agent
This is all in the CBA at XIX(A)(2)(b), Consent to Assignment (and options are contained in the Major League Rules, 11(c), which you’re not supposed to be able to get a hold of, cough cough). Now, no one knows which option he picks, but the team’s already on the hook for $millions, so they’re not going to take the chance that Freddy gets that money *and* pitches for someone else, leaving them nothing (Doug Davis did this this year, refusing an assignment in Toronto and signing a new deal elsewhere). Or Freddy could refuse to go to Tacoma. And then there’s waivers, and any team can pick him up (or the Mariners can revoke waivers if someone claims him, leaving Freddy back on the ML roster).
The team could also DL him, people say. But if it’s not a real injury, Freddy can protest and there’s a host of problems there. Freddy can also refuse the DL assignment, which requires his written consent, even if he is injured (Carlos Beltran did this a while back).
In the house: An updated Big Board. Enjoy.
Also, thanks to everyone who emailed last week to offer their condolences on the passing of my niece.