The Blue Jays optioned the struggling Adam Lind to Triple-A earlier today. The 28-year-old has hit just .238/.289/.420 in nearly 1,300 plate appearances since signing his four-year, $18MM contract extension in April of 2010. Toronto recalled Yan Gomes to take Lind's roster spot, and tonight he became the first first Brazilian-born player in baseball history. Here's the latest from around the league…
- Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star notes (on Twitter) that the Blue Jays would not have been able to option Lind after June 29th, when he would have accrued enough service time (five years) to decline an optional assignment.
- “The longer we go, it will be harder to stretch (Aroldis Chapman) to start,” said Reds GM Walt Jocketty to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Chapman has not allowed a run in 20 1/3 innings this season with 34 strikeouts and seven walks. “We may be resigned to the fact that he will have to pitch in the bullpen all year," adde the GM.
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com spoke to Reds manager Dusty Baker about the difference between signing a huge contract with a new team (like Albert Pujols) and signing a huge deal with your current team (like Joey Votto). "You get more tolerance," he said, referring to the slow starts each player has endured.
right, because Votto and his 1.039 OPS and league leading doubles and walks are off to a really slow start…it must be so hard for the fans to be that tolerant
But he’s not leading the league in HRs and RBIS! You know thats all that matters. Batting .317, 6HR and 25 RBIs, projected at that pace to have 25-30 HR and over 100 RBIs…yuck what an awful start!
/sarcasm
I feel sorry for all the Jays fans I see with Lind jerseys/t-shirts… That’s why I got a new blank jersey this year. I was considering Morrow, but eh…
I may win the pool of worthless Blue Jay shirts…Lets throw it back to 2005 where I got a Corey Koskie shirt. Then in 2009 when I went back to Toronto I decided to get the following player shirts: Alex Rios, Scott Rolen, Adam Lind and Travis Snider…soon enough Rios and Rolen are gone and Snider and Lind are now in AAA. Doesn’t matter now since it’s the old logo anyway but yeah…that’s why I only get jerseys for guys with/who had long contracts (ex. Wells, Halladay, Bautista). I’m going back up to Toronto this June, I’ll make sure to buy a Cordero shirt.
Get a George Bell Jersey, then for sure you won’t be popular with anyone.. Home or visiting team.. Mr. Personality he was..NOT…
Edit: Had to include this from a web page on george bell:
George Bell
Once charged the mound to start a fight after a called strike
Earned the ire of Red Sox fans after he charged the mound and did his best Daniel-san impersonation by attempting to karate kick Bruce Kison during a fight. Kison calmly steps aside, watches Bell flail and miss, and flattens Bell with a punch.
Set Blue Jays team record for OF errors in a season – and as a note Bell was the worst defensive outfielder I have ever seen.
Helped get Jimy Williams fired as Blue Jays manager by refusing to DH despite his defensive ineptitude
I’ve been burned in the past by terrible name choices. this year I went with Anthopoulos on my blue jersey.
i feel worse for those with rios and burnette jerseys.
I feel for guys who have a Mike Napoli jersey.
I’m fine with the way Votto is starting… the rest of the team – outside of Bruce – needs to come around…
As for Chapman, it will be a huge disservice to Chapman and the team to bury him in the bullpen all year. If he’s in the pen till June/July it’s fine because he’s going to be limited on innings anyway, and that will assure we have him for the remainder of the year and if we make the post season…
Leave it to the Reds to spend 30 million on a mid-reliever.
The Pirates would love Lind. Presley for Adam Lind and a little money?
Got any more journeyman outfielders/3B that never lived up to their potential?
I think they own all of them. The only ones they don’t have any more are Brandon Wood and Andy LaRoache.
I would hate for us to trade for Lind, he has Huntington’s style written all over him. Terrible hitter who had one good season. Can he do anything better than Jones who has power and can’t hit lefties? I’d prefer they go after Trumbo or even Billy Butler.
Votto has started slowly? Really? I’ll take .317/.466/.595 all day long.
I think the quote from the Reds GM about Chapman is pretty funny. What a horrible problem to have a pitcher with the best stuff in the league pitching out of your pen and NEVER giving up runs, what a shame.
If the Reds keep Chapman in the pen all year, I will be convinced that the franchise is run by a complete set of knuckleheads
I’m already convinced.
He might be a 3 WAR pitcher in the pen, but he can be a 5.5+ WAR pitcher in the rotation. And if they don’t get his innings up to 140+ this year, they’ll have to cap him there next year. So yea, it’s a problem
Its no earned runs for Chapman. The Mets hit him around yesterday (couple walks, hits and a blown save) and he gave an unearned run. Guess he needs more rest pitching a day game after a night game.