We’ve already covered a number of roster decisions already this evening, but more keep rolling in. Here are some of the latest:
- The Orioles announced a number of moves, including the demotion of infielder Paul Janish. That could open the door to an Opening Day roster spot for Hyun Soo Kim, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com explains (Twitter links). Kim has continued to maintain that he will not accept a minor league assignment, as is his contractual right, despite a rough spring. Only Xavier Avery appears to remain an obstacle to a roster spot for Kim, as the team’s 29 remaining players in camp include three who are bound for the DL.
- The Phillies have announced that veteran relievers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri were reassigned to minor league camp along with catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Will Venable. That lends clarity to the team’s Opening Day roster. Bailey reportedly has a May 1 opt-out date, while Frieri apparently allowed his own to pass yesterday without action. Venable had seemed lined up for a job after signing late in camp, but the Phils will apparently give roster spots to non-roster invitees Cedric Hunter and Emmanuel Burriss, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes on Twitter. Fellow minor league signee James Russell also appears to have earned an Opening Day nod. The club is also set to give a shot to its two Rule 5 picks — outfielder Tyler Goeddel and lefty Daniel Stumpf.
- CC Sabathia has beaten out Ivan Nova for the Yankees’ fifth starter role, manager Joe Girardi told reporters incluing Wallace Mathews of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). That appears to put Nova in the pen for now, where he’ll also serve as a swingman option. The Yanks will give their final pen job to righty Kirby Yates, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (via Twitter). Yates was acquired for cash over the winter, and impressed this spring, though he might not have had a slot had it not been for an unfortunate injury to Bryan Mitchell. Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog had noted yesterday on Twitter that Yates was a prime candidate to take over for Mitchell, while adding that Luis Cessa and Johnny Barbato were also slated to join the active roster for the season’s start.
- Fortunately for the Yankees, it appears they won’t have to replace lefty Andrew Miller on Opening Day. Miller has been cleared to pitch despite suffering a fracture to his non-pitching hand, as Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reports. Miller, who’ll hold down closing duties while Aroldis Chapman is out, is not expected to require surgery and will apparently be able to proceed as normal so long as he can tolerate the injury.
Kim is not only hurting himself, he is hurting the O’s. If he is not one of their best 25 players at the end of spring he should just go to AAA, get more AB’s and they probably make it back up to the majors within a month or so. Now the O’s have to carry a guy they most likely didn’t want to carry with them to start the season and send someone down who they wanted to start the season with them.
He has the right to do what he wants because they have him that contract in the first place. If he wants to be on the roster or back in Korea it’s his choice
Nope. Orioles management is hurting the O’s. It was a contract they made with him -and now they have to abide by it.
Agreed. This team is going to break every strikeout record out there. They might have 5 players with triple digit strikeout totals
Agree… Why complain about a contract they agreed to? Hey waive him (try and get someone’s else to see value in $7mm over 2 years) … Dfa him (foot the bill and see who is willing to take a $520k gamble on him)… I guarantee you someone will pick him up (he won’t go back to Korea)
LOL!
I agree 100%. Why the FO agree to that stipulation is beyond me. The Korean league is known to have weak pitching so to think Kim could jump straight to hitting major league pitching has to makes one wonder.
If the O’s don’t want him on the major league team, then they should terminate his contract and pay him the money they would owe him, instead of trying to force him to go to the minors.
Luckily, he’s not paid a ridiculous amount of money.
Kim should do what he thinks is best for him. And the Orioles should do what they think is best for them. There are reasons that both parties agree to these contracts and both parties should be expected to attempt to maximize their end.
Yup… Sounds like 2 professionals each playing out the cards in front of them
They may break every strikeout record but they also may break every home run record as well. They just don’t have pitching
CC beat out Nova for 5th spot? Wow that is one expensive back end of the rotation starter.
Imagine if he didn’t. That would be the most expensive bullpen in history. $25 for CC, $9M for Miller, $11M for Chapman. $45M for 3 lefties in the bullpen.
At one point, the Giants had not one but Two relievers making about $20 million Each in the pen (Zito and Lincecum)
Well that’s what happens when you’re in the late 30’s. Good chance Price, Lester, Greinke and all the other $25-$30 million+ starters will be backend starters in their final year(s)