Despite being told that he will not make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Doug Mientkiewicz's request to be released from his contract has yet to be granted, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Mientkiewicz says that he has been told he is the club's contingency plan in the event that Garret Anderson is hurt.
The Dodgers have contractual control over the 35-year-old first baseman until Friday, when his opt-out clause goes into effect. Mientkiewicz says he doesn't understand why he has yet to be cut loose as Angel Berroa and Eric Gagne were both released upon their requests.
Mientkiewicz, known best for his defense, declined an offer from manager Joe Torre to stay on with the club as a coach. In twelve big league seasons, the veteran has a career slash line of .271/.360/.405.
I think they should release him,though i am not sure if anyone would pick him up. He may retire.
Aww, c’mon Dodgers. Give the man his freedom. We don’t want you, unless we do, Doug. Nice.
You know what they say: baseball is a business. You can’t really blame the Dodgers for getting their money’s worth. With that said, it does seems a little sketchy.
I know it’s a business. Can you imagine being called in and told you are being let go, and start packing up, head for the door, and be told to wait-wait just a minute-for a few days. We want to make sure your replacement is here on time. Maybe when they told him he wasn’t making the team they could have also told him they will grant him his release on the agreed upon date. I would think an organization that is supposed to be one of the classier ones in the ML could have avoided the anger by just saying that to him.
Oh, and especially since they DID let the other guys go before their agreed upon date.
I think they need to let him go he deserves it he worked his butt off to get back last year and I think he will get signed hes a quality guy to have around
the issue isn’t that they are holding onto him until friday. the issue is that torre told him too soon. the dodgers absolutely should have a contingency plan in case anderson blows out his hamstring. that’s why torre shouldn’t have told mkz he wasn’t making the team.
Whatever. It’s a situation that could have, and should have, been avoided.
Doug Mientkiewicz really shouldn’t be whining. Simply, he’s Doug Mientkiewicz. What, is there a team out there chomping at the bit should the Dodgers find up cutting him loose?
who said he was whining
Reality is, Mientkiewicz is an insurance policy for a week in case Anderson gets hurt.
Dodgers have that prerogative to wait til Friday to let him opt out and I see NO reason for them to do so any earlier. He could still win the LH pinch hitting role if Anderson goes down for an extended period of time with an injury b/w now and Friday.
I don’t see the point in guys signing minor league contracts if they don’t want to play in the minors. I understand they are veterans and are fighting for jobs, but what makes him think someone would want to sign him and put him on their 25 man roster? It just makes no sense. Hang around in the minors until an injury happens then come up and play. It seems like 90% of these minor league deals get axed before the season starts.
A player who signs a minor league contract that late in their career comes in trying to make the club. They should understand that the team doesn’t want to add them to the 40-man roster right away in order to delay a decision on a younger player.
Would he have been more upset if he was cut on Friday with most teams already set or being told he at least has a chance to start the season with the Dodgers?
This is a guy who signed off of Twitter because he couldn’t control his temper when criticized for dogging it last season in AAA. This is a guy who refused to give the ball back to the Red Sox after winning the World Series in ’04. This is a guy who when no one else wanted him the Dodgers gave him a shot & surprisingly he made the team. He whines when he doesn’t get his way, he has a horrible work ethic & from everything I’ve read just a surly individual. The Dodgers have the right as those that control his contract to keep him for the duration of said contract. If he doesn’t like then don’t sign minor league contracts. Once they signed Garrett Anderson there was no way he was gonna make the team. That being said if Anderson were to get hurt between now & Friday it’d be great to have that marginal lefty off the bench. Gagne was released because he was running it up there at 87 & couldn’t find the strike zone with a satellite. Angel Berroa was let go because he was a light hitting SS & the Dodgers already had Chin Lung Hu, Jamey Carroll, Belliard & Dewitt to fill that spot. There are no other lefties that could come off the bench besides GA or Mein…He has a contract. He needs to stop whining & deal with it. Maybe they’ll trade him to Tampa or Florida or Texas.