11:37AM: The Rays officially announced the move, with right-hander Trevor Richards called up to take Honeywell’s roster spot.
8:08AM: Brent Honeywell Jr. checked his Major League debut off his bucket list on Sunday: two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts against the Yankees. The Rays would ultimately lose the game, but it was a strong showing from the 26-year-old Georgian.
Regardless, the plan was never for Honeywell to claim a rotation spot at this time. In classic Rays fashion, this was a spot start for Honeywell, a strategic call-up to share the innings load and progress a young arm in baby steps. He has been optioned back the minors, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). For Honeywell in particular, there may be added benefit to the short-stint call-up in that he gets to overcome the mental and physical hurdle of making his debut after so many setbacks.
This was Honeywell’s first game action since 2017 when he tossed 123 2/3 innings with a 3.64 ERA at the Triple-A level. At that point, Honeywell appeared on the verge of stardom. Instead of making his debut in 2018, however, Honeywell was set on a Sisyphean cycle of surgery and rehab that included three surgeries.
He was added to the roster at this time because of an injury to Chris Archer. Archer suffered right lateral forearm tightness, but the Rays expect Archer to return after only a short time off. Given that Archer went on the 10-day injured list on April 11th, however, the Rays will need to bring in another arm when Archer’s rotation spot comes back around on Thursday against the Rangers.
Flemming please, he’s better than Wacha and is a reliable starter
Ugh Wacha. Yesterday was an embarrassment. Honey just mowed them down…just to let Wacha in to give up the lead. He did settle down, which I appreciate, but after last year…and so far this year…his signing is not inspiring confidence. Yet, as will all Rays moves that I initially question, I will give it time. Fleming will be back soon, regardless of Wacha’s performance.
Cash and rays have to realize not every pitcher is Yarborough and Chirinos.
NOOOO
if anyone deserves more chances then it’s this guy
He will be in rotation by end of year, they just need him to go back down and get stretched out
Thank you for your service time manipulation
It’s better that they option him so they can control his innings. After 84 arm operations (slight exaggeration), his workload needs to be built up gradually. Difficult to do that on a MLB roster. He’ll no doubt get more call ups and then be immediately sent down when they can work him in and manage their overall roster.
Yes, optioning him is about control. Team control
He’ll be back up in two weeks when they need another opener. No need to keep him on the roster when they can keep an extra reliever.
Couldn’t they theoretically do that with all their starters? Might be able to assemble the best pitching staff of all time. Then other teams will do it. And THEN MLB will act to stop it. Not until then…..
I think there is a 10 day requirement to option a player (has to stay down for 10 days). So it would only be a good idea if you wanted a guy to skip his spot in the rotation. Teams do that a lot already.
I don’t think the two situations are mutually exclusive. The Rays will need Fleming and Honey this year…as well as Patino, McClanahan, McKay, Ryan, et. al.
Yes, I wrote the other day that the Rays plan for 2021 was to sign Wacha, Archer, and Hill to get them innings till mid-season. At that point they will call up Honeywell, Fleming, Patino, and McClanahan as starters (if they’re healthy).
So they brought up Honeywell to get his feet wet, and will probably do the same with others. Like a jockey in a horse race, the object is to stay in the pack until the final turn and the stretch run when they kick it in.
These 4 guys (as well as others) are having their innings monitored. Rays management want them in shape for the end of the season, not burned out.
This is the way a class organization approaches a season.
Being smart and taking advantage of the system isn’t classy. Never was never will be.
I cannot wait to use the mute button on you, just FYI.
suprised they didn’t give him another inning or two.
Sarcasm?
Looked great!
Got the butterflies out.
He’ll be back.
Sisyphean? Looks like someone got “word a day” calendar for Christmas.
Lol…Perfect context.
Best ran franchise in baseball.
Crying shame that there fan support sucks! Need that new stadium in Tampa!
What makes them the best run franchise over other teams?
The Dodgers are on line 2
Yeah, amazing how the Dodgers managed to win an 80 game season with a billion dollar payroll. #notallheroes……
best run franchises that doesnt win championships
I’m pretty sure they would have by now if they had an actual respectable payroll.
yep
You shouldn’t celebrate an organization for doing something dishonest and skirting the rules. I don’t understand why so many fans do this. You want to think you are smarter than everyone else but it’s lame. You shouldn’t be rooting for this unless you own the team. Just like rooting for Amazon. Why???
Right. Supporting the Rays is JUST like supporting Amazon. Because that’s a logical comparison.
Thanks for letting everyone know what they should do and how to think. How about you stop crying and worrying about what is “lame.” There is nothing dishonest with leveraging the rules that are in place. Just because your team has a different approach doesn’t make them right and doesn’t make the Rays wrong. Come back and comment when you have something intelligent to say other than “that’s lame” or “I don’t like that.” Go back to watching Tik Tok videos.
Pain.
I can’t believe he hadn’t pitched in an actual game since 2017! I hope he’s finally able to stay healthy this year and break through in the majors. The kid had enormous potential; let’s hope all of those surgeries didn’t have an irreparable effect on his natural abilities.
It’s really lame that baseball allows this to go on. If a guy has a job where he only has to perform 1 day out of 5 it’s incredibly lame to use him for that one day then send him down. It’s not fair whatsoever. This kind of stuff makes me not like baseball.
Whoever told you that life was ever going to be fair lied to you.
That’s a lame response. There are people in charge that could fix things like this. And if it was your life you would care. They have a freaking labor union but it’s all a joke. I don’t root for big companies who screw over their employees. It’s 2021 the world is changing. It’s not what I want to do.
So you are mad that they don’t use him enough?
Trevor Richards isn’t getting screwed. He’ll get a chance to contribute as well will several others because of the way the system is set up. Honeywell’s service time clock is started so does it really matter how he is optioned?
Dude the service clock is like a stopwatch. It’s only ticking while he’s on the team. So yeah man it does really matter. Look up the rules and be informed.
You’re right I got that incorrect. Thanks for pointing it out so politely, lol. What I should have said is his first option year is in the books. I would like you to address my point that how is locking down a roster spot on the 26 man beneficial for anyone? Maybe you don’t like the AAA shuttles that are employed but the fact is that many of those young and marginal players would have thier MLB opportunities severely reduced or even eliminated if the protocols were tighten.
He has a very good point. That’s screwing the system. If you bring a guy up to start a game, he needs to be active for 5 games. However, you can then have another guy as a starter and then put him in. So, if you bring a guy up, he needs to be active for five games. This up and down shuttle is just bulls…
Exactly. He should be required to stay on the team for 5 days because that’s how his job works. The team is doing something dishonest by calling him up for that one game then sending him down for what would have been rest days typically. It’s 100% against the spirit of the rules and I don’t know why baseball allows it to go on.
Because it’s not against the rules, that’s why MLB doesn’t stop it. You sound like a whiny teenager complaining about things not being fair. There is nothing “dishonest” going on and if it makes you hate baseball so much feel free to stop watching and commenting about it.
Dude I watch less and less baseball every year. The system is broken. Why are you defending it? I don’t get it. I have a right to share my opinion and if YOU don’t like it move on. The world wasn’t built by guys like you take my word for it fella. Paper champions.
It’s the era of outrage. Apparently even for people who admittedly watch less and less baseball but feel the need to tell everyone how it should be done. Yes, opinions are welcome here–educated opinions are a bit more appreciated, though.
Does anyone know how the players feel about this? Do they accept this as life or are they pissed?
Assuming you are not familiar with the rules of MLB, or strategy, etc. They cannot just bring him up every five days–if a player is sent down, he has to remain in the minors for a certain amount of time unless there is an injury which opens up a roster spot. This is a special situation–maybe you didn’t read the part that Honey hasn’t pitched in four years? You don’t just throw a guy to the wolves, and as some have mentioned above this allows for another reliever (the Rays only have four starters right now…well, if you include Wacha); there is risk involved in the move, it’s not just anarchy with no accountability. You mention in a post above why not do it with all your starters–I assume you were not being serious? Do you think Tyler Glasnow would pass through waivers and make it to AAA?
Unfortunately, it is the power grabbers who have started to ruin baseball. Three-batter minimums, the foolish player on second base in extra innings rule, the time clock…what else do you want? How much micromanagement is enough? And regarding the MLB players union…it is worth a major LOL if you think their union is weak. When the strike hits (again) next year, come and see me.
I do not mean to be rude, but please educate yourself before making these strange statements. If you are the type of person who believes one entity should be in total control of an organization…well, good for you, but for me I appreciate that teams are still allowed to make some tactical decisions on their own, and each one has some give and take..
I don’t think you understood a word I said. This isn’t unique to Honeywell and it certainly isn’t foreign to the Ray’s. This is lame behavior. Period. The team is not doing it for Honeywell they are doing it for themselves. And make no mistake this isn’t the first time Honeywell has been jerked around like this. He hasn’t pitched in 4 years or he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues in 4 years? Which is it? The team controls who plays and when. So him not being around for 4 years doesn’t really tell the whole story.
Why don’t you cry about it being unfair some more. That will definitely help.
That’s why players have limited options
Yeah, I actually totally agree with that thought process. I would assume this roster manipulation will be discussed thoroughly in the upcoming CBA negotiations.
I wish it would be but I doubt it. As a Cardinal fan I saw them do this to Ponce De Leon the last couple years it’s just so lame. Then we have Andrew Miller, who BTW is a union rep, with a vesting option that required him to play. We jerked Ponce around but Miller the minute he was kind of healthy he played. And now he’s getting 12.5 million this year. Did I mention he’s a union rep?
recalling and optioning players is not roster manipulation and to a certain extent benefits a player in Honeywell’s spot. they’re calling him up for one day because they expect to use him once. if they had to keep him up it would be a waste of a roster space until they use him again, which they weren’t planning on doing, so therefore they might not have called him up at all. yes, they will look at roster manipulation. this is not that.
Thats nonsense. They called him up to use him as a starter. Starters pitch every 5 days. So to call him up then send him right back down only benefits one party that’s the team. Instead of paying him for his 4 rest days they use that money to pay a reliever. And BTW also keep Ho.neywell from earning service time. Thats not right. Not at all.
@ Joel Peterson;
Above I wrote the plan the Rays have for 2021 with 4 starting pitchers. It appears you are not aware of it. They discussed it Thursday with the media in a Zoom call.
Former Orioles manager Earl Weaver wrote a great book in the early 70’s titled, ‘Winning’. In it he explained the Oriole philosophy on breaking in young players. He’d slowly get them in the line-up. If a successful veteran was pitching that day he had position players sit, and left a veteran to play. As the season wore on he would gradually give the young player more innings. The object was not to let the inexperienced player become defeated after being thrown to the wolves for no reason. This is exactly what the Rays just did with Honeywell.
–
Along the same lines I see the same thing with the Indians moving Amed Rosario to play CF. He was pretty bad in Spring Training (it’s tough to learn a new position at the ML level). So Francona was playing him there every 2-3 days for a bit. (A writer here stated that the experiment was failing don’t remember his exact words. Dumb analysis.) Francona has a history of bringing out the best in players. You should have see Carlos Carrasco’s attitude, work habits, and game when the Indians got him from the Phillies). Amed is continuing to play CF more often and is getting comfortable out there. He can play that position well (he can’t play SS in the majors). He’s being handled correctly.
–
The Rays / Kevin Cash do a great job getting the best out of players as well They will blend in Honeywell and the other pitchers just fine. You’ll see them during the stretch run, the playoff, and very possibly the World Series this year.
This might be a wild assumption Samuel but I think you are a Ray’s fan.
As a fan of the team and what’s best for the team sure this makes sense.
But I don’t just root for my team. I am a real person in the real world and I root for fairness. I root for fair competition. And this isn’t in the spirit of the rules what they did.
The Ray’s are a well run organization. But lots of well run organizations are doing crooked things. And I don’t like it.
He was drafted 7 years ago and hasn’t pitched in competition for 4 years. That combo alone is WAY more than enough to excuse shuttling him back and forth, so the Rays have all the plausible deniability in the world to defend getting an extra year out of him for any number of excuses.
@ Joel Peterson;
P.S. I was a big fan if the Cardinals for decades. I love Mike Shildt, and believe that Yadi has been one of the most impactful players in MLB the past 17 or so years (and he still is, even though he’s deteriorating physically – things he does as a Catcher impacts each game)..
It’s not MLB that broken, as much as it is the Cardinals. Sure, they brought in Goldschmidt and Arenado. But it wasn’t 2 power bats they needed (one would have done). The fact is that they haven’t developed pitchers as they once did, nor did they do a good job with the OF’s. Throw Bader on the pile with Billy Hamilton, Brett Phillips, Roman Quinn and a half-dozen other CF’s the past 10 years that play sterling D, can steal bases, but can’t hit to save their lives. They bounce around as 5th OF’s for defensive purposes, but you can’t run them out there each day and expect to win. The Cards stayed too long with Carpenter, and I’m having some doubts about O’Neill as well. At some point the players have to make the adjustments or it’s best to cut the cord. Along those lines – I like the Brewers in the NLC this year. Strong D. Excellent pitching. Great manager & GM. They’ll get a bat for the stretch run.
“Spirit of the rules” lol. Ask Brent Honeywell Jr if he would rather pitch his 100 innings this year in the beginning of the year or potentially be in the rays rotation in the playoffs/playoff race. Wanna bet what his answer would be? Because I know it would be 1 of 2 things: 1) anything to help the team win; or 2) he’d rather be good to go in the playoffs/playoff race and not be shut down due to inning limits
@ Joel Peterson;
So I’m just a lowly fan of a team, but you’re the SJW that roots for “fairness”?
You sir, have a problem.
FYI – I am in fact a fan of the Rays – as well as 7-10 other teams. Have been for decades. I love watching quality organizations, managers, and teams that play strong fundamental baseball. With MLB.TV I can keep up with teams I want to.
I don’t think you comprehended a thing I wrote. That’s fine. It was pretty basic baseball philosophy – hardly “unfair”.
Htrab if you need me to dig into the countless other times Tampa has done this I can. Heck better yet you can look up Honeywell personally and he was jerked around like this many times before. And that was before the injuries. Look it up I know baseball I remember it happening years ago so I know it happened. Look it up.
Lots of organizations doing crooked things?? Trysts hilarious coming from a fan of the most crooked team in professional sports. Dead birds were literally caught doing shady things and were barely punished. Perhaps like the other commenters have said, you should learn the rules about player options and injury management with regard to rosters.
Of course you probably won’t based on the fact you aid teams control who plays and who doesn’t lol. That’s their job to manage the rosters. Just silly logic to think players should have control of the roster
Nobody needs you to do anything because everything you are crying about IS ALLOWED BY MLB RULES! Just because the rules make Joel Peterson cry doesn’t mean anything the Rays do with their roster isn’t “fair” or “dishonest.”
I am fine with the Rays sending him down after a day. I am also fine with the MLBPA deciding that they want the next CBA to have different option and service time rules. For example, a player could be guaranteed a minimum of 5 service days credit the first time they are called up in a season, 10 days the second etc, even if they are sent down right away. (The reality of things like long extra innings games and injuries/illnesses means that one day call ups are sometimes necessary.)
I never said locking down a roster spot is beneficial. I said if a starters job is to pitch 1 day then rest for 4 he shouldn’t be sent down after pitching that one day. Because if he is he gets paid as a big leaguer for only 1 game and a minor league the other 4. And thats not fair because he pitched a big league game. He should get 5 days of service time for having started the game. That’s what I am talking about. That’s what’s not fair.
@joel @samuel @everyone else…
I think you’re both making really valid points….
But first off – forget the rules & think of the player, and I think you’re both trying to do that. Honeywell hasn’t pitched pro ball for four years. Maybe it’s only the Rays that are nuts enough to go with that against the three true outcome Yankees?
If you’re Honeywell, do you think – wow bigs – or do you think – I’d rather wait for when the Milb season starts. Sometime soon. Maybe.
Like my A’s, the Rays will try to exploit every loophole like a low budget team has to. It’s not a lack of class, it’s necessity. Do I agree? No. But it’s pragmatism not purity. And I was appalled and disgusted by the A’s attitude furloughing the hourly paid – which to be fair they reversed almost immediately. Under pressure.
As a starter/opener should he get five days service time? Should a reliever who has to go 4 innings in extras? (which thanks to the extras rule which blows the AL/NL DH difference out of the water, over the harbour and three miles up the mountains, is unlikely)…. Frankly, yes. With the modern malleability (sic) flexibility of the roster this is something the MLBPA will have to recognise .come November.
Lads, take a breather – you both making a valid argument and don’t need to throw rocks at each other.
You’d only miss ;0)
@joel @samuel @everyone else…
I think you’re both making really valid points….
But first off – forget the rules & think of the player, and I think you’re both trying to do that. Honeywell hasn’t pitched pro ball for four years. Maybe it’s only the Rays that are nuts enough to go with that against the three true outcome Yankees?
If you’re Honeywell, do you think – wow bigs – or do you think – I’d rather wait for when the Milb season starts. Sometime soon. Maybe.
Like my A’s, the Rays will try to exploit every loophole like a low budget team has to. It’s not a lack of class, it’s necessity. Do I agree? No. But it’s pragmatism not purity. And I was appalled and disgusted by the A’s attitude furloughing the hourly paid – which to be fair they reversed almost immediately. Under pressure.
As a starter/opener should he get five days service time? Should a reliever who has to go 4 innings in extras? (which thanks to the extras rule which blows the AL/NL DH difference out of the water, over the harbour and three miles up the mountains, is unlikely)…. Frankly, yes. With the modern malleability (sic) flexibility of the roster this is something the MLBPA will have to recognise come November.
Lads, take a breather – you’re both making a valid argument and don’t need to throw rocks at each other.
You’d only miss ;0)
@ A’sfaninLondonUK;
Now coming up and pitching 2 innings is a service time issue?
I give up.
Teams have been calling up pitchers to pitch i one game and send them back down FOR YEARS. So?
You guys should really find a better picture of him