THURSDAY: The Pirates officially announced the move this morning.
WEDNESDAY: The Pirates will designate John Bowker for assignment tomorrow morning, according to Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The Pirates needed to clear 25-man roster space for Xavier Paul, whom the Pirates claimed off of waivers from the Dodgers yesterday.
With Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Matt Diaz and Lyle Overbay on the roster and Paul on his way, the Pirates will cut Bowker instead of carrying another outfielder/first baseman. In 18 plate appearances this year, he has a .250/.333/.313 line, not far from his career marks of .238/.289/.391. The 2004 third-rounder has already appeared at first base and in right field, the two positions he has played most often in his four big league seasons.
The Pirates will take him. Oh wait.
I don’t fully know the waiver rules but couldn’t the Pirates technically claim Bowker back, place Paul on waivers, and once they claim Bowker, place Paul back on waivers again, and keep continuing the process leaving both players in limbo (or until Selig intervenes)? Just like the Lamb Chop song…”The Song that Never Ends.”
John Bowker the tease that is John Bowker has been DFA’d. He created so much optimism in Spring Training last year, then he fell flat on his face again. I lost count how many times I got excited about him coming up only to disappoint again and again. Unfortunately Todd Linden now has company in the “sluggers who never panned out” club, Bowker just never figured out major league pitching. I think he ends up with the Mariners.
Todd Linden! Rock on, my friend, rock on!
Hey,
Don’t forget us!!!
Sincerely,
Tony Torcato, Jason Ellison, Lance Niekro, Travis Ishikawa
Dan Ortmeier says hi
ahem… Damon Minor.
don’t forget another pirate via san fran, Armando Rios!
someone will claim him, he needs a opportunity to play a little bit, letting him DH in the AL once in awhile will help i think
There’s nowhere to go after the Pirates…
except AAA, I suppose
Independent Ball if all else fails…
Tampa Bay? Oh wait…
Does anyone think a team will claim him? I don’t really see him as a fit on any team he might just slip right on through waivers….
If Jeff Clement can easily go by, why not Bowker?
I really like Clint Hurdle.. but he is starting to scare me….Pearce is horrible…Cedeno dawgs it…and Doumit…his defense is bad….and Lyle Overbay looks old all the sudden….like a grandfather who gets to play ball with his grandsons at the family picnic…it looks like the streak continues on in 2011:(
Pirate fans just be glad your bum has been cut