What do you think of our Wang? Slot Worthy?

[HiAndTight]

You guys think the league is going to let them put a healthy pitcher on the DL? They open their training staff up to fines and suspensions if they falsify medical reports. The league will make sure he's actually hurt. Division rivals will see right through it. The DL thing is not going to work.

 

 

Can you recall one time a training staff has been fined or suspended?

 

 

No because teams don't put healthy players on the DL so they can circumvent the Rule 5 provisions.

 

 

Right...except when they do. And that is the ONLY scenario in which you would say a guy had a dead arm or put a guy on the DL when it might not be 100 pct above board?

 

What was the penalty for putting Ford on the DL again when he appeared to be healthy? They put Ford on the DL after a rough outing and when Yost was asked about the "quite convenient," timing of the DL stint, Yost just said, "he's been dealing with elbow soreness for a while."

 

So...what, Major League Baseball is going to come in and say, "no, we don't believe you," and then not only fine, but suspend the training staff? This seems incredibly unrealistic given that as far as I know it's never happened.

 

There are also times when a player is sent back down, but need again within the next 10 days and someone else who is healthy is put on the DL.

 

 

I think MLB trying to figure out who really has a dead, sore, tired arm and then punishing those who they don't believe truly do is one of the dumbest things they can do. One player ends up injuring his arm worse and how does MLB answer that?

[HiAndTight]

So what's the solution here? Assuming that there are other teams who will claim Wang if the Brewers expose him to waivers (assuming at least several teams didn't know about him prior to the Rule 5 draft), I think the two best solutions are:

 

1) Trade Wang for a LH 1B/3B

2) Trade Wang for international signing bonus slots (if Gilbert Lara will in fact command a $3.5M signing bonus, the Brewers will need more bonus pool dollars to avoid penalties)

3) ?

 

 

I wasn't aware of all the rules regarding how they could go about trading Wang or what they could do, but they cannot do any of these things. They would have to waive him, every other team would get a chance to pick him up free and clear(aside from the 25K fee). So they couldn't work out a trade with any of those teams.

 

If nobody claimed him on waivers, they would not be getting something BACK from the Pirates, they'd have to hope the Pirates would be willing to take something back for him.

 

And if everyone wants him gone, just what type of LH'ing 1B/3B(especially if you're assuming you're going to get an MLB ready player in return) are you going to get?

 

So they can either let him go to another team, or they can keep him. MAYBE if everything Melvin and what has been reported is wrong and no team claims him, then perhaps we could trade a prospect for him for the right to pitch him in the minors.

 

That's about it...as far as I understand it from the several posts in this thread outlining the procedural rules.

[SoupTown]

Wang threw 5 mph below his normal velocity last outing. That is pure and simple dead arm. To fix this you go on the DL 15 days to start. You rest completely. Then you go back to start of spring training mode. You build arm strength for two weeks. Then you do a 30 day rehab. So Wang would be back late July. And on the roster to the season end

[Thurston Fluff]

You guys think the league is going to let them put a healthy pitcher on the DL? They open their training staff up to fines and suspensions if they falsify medical reports. The league will make sure he's actually hurt. Division rivals will see right through it. The DL thing is not going to work.

 

 

Can you recall one time a training staff has been fined or suspended?

 

Maybe because teams do not stash players away as often as some on here think they do. Trainers have a say in weather they go along with something that could effect their future. Whether that be directly or indirectly by presiding over a team whose players somehow come down with ailments out of thin air. I know one instance wouldn't be major but does anyone think a team who asks someone to cheat for them once wouldn't ask them every time it would be convenient for the team? To get away with cheating the least amount of co-conspirators creates the greatest chances of getting away with it. For this scenario to work they would need the player, the manager, the GM, the trainers and any doctors they consulted to go along with it. What advantage does it provide for the player? None. Why would he go along with it? His career is better served going back and pitching in the minors or staying on the active roster and working on his craft. So the key person in the whole conspiracy is the one who has the least to gain form the move and most to lose. The next group that is key to the conspiracy is the trainers. Again what do they have to gain by cheating? Far less than they have to lose that is for sure.

[lcbj68c]

Lying is cheating, we get it. We are saying it's not a lie to conclude that a drop in mph in ball speed can be concluded as arm fatigue. It doesn't take a giant conspiracy, akin to a Watergate investigation, to put someone on the DL with arm fatigue. "We feel his arm is tired" is all the Brewers need to say. I don't even think it need collaboration by a single doctor, trainer, agent, player, or otherwise. There is no hit to the players salary for this move and he has no reason to shout to the rooftops that his arm isn't fatigued.

[lcbj68c]

Lying is cheating, we get it. We are saying it's not a lie to conclude that a drop in mph in ball speed can be concluded as arm fatigue. It doesn't take a giant conspiracy, akin to a Watergate investigation, to put someone on the DL with arm fatigue. "We feel his arm is tired" is all the Brewers need to say. I don't even think it need collaboration by a single doctor, trainer, agent, player, or otherwise. There is no hit to the players salary for this move and he has no reason to shout to the rooftops that his arm isn't fatigued.

[Thurston Fluff]

I wasn't aware of all the rules regarding how they could go about trading Wang or what they could do, but they cannot do any of these things. They would have to waive him, every other team would get a chance to pick him up free and clear(aside from the 25K fee). So they couldn't work out a trade with any of those teams.

 

Not true. This is form MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp?mc=faq

Teams may trade a player selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but the same rules regarding roster placement apply to the player's new team.

 

I don't even think it need collaboration by a single doctor, trainer, agent, player, or otherwise.

 

Not true. This is directly from the collective bargaining PDFhttp://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf

Page 53.

 

Application by a Club to the Commissioner to place a Player on the

Disabled List shall be accompanied by a Standard Form of Diagnosis

(see Attachment 5), a copy of which shall be provided to the Player and

the Association. The Standard Form of Diagnosis shall be completed

by the Club physician and shall include, as a separate item, an esti-

mated time period for recovery. The Club physician will also complete

and submit the Standard Form of Diagnosis for recertification of a

Player on the Disabled List at the date when he first becomes eligible

for reinstatement to active status and then every fifteen days following

the date upon which the Player first became eligible for reinstatement

(except for Players placed on the 60-day Disabled List). In addition

to the Standard Form of Diagnosis, the Office of the Commissioner

may request that a Club provide additional information in support of a

Disabled List placement before the application is approved by the

Commissioner. The Club shall provide a copy of such additional infor-

mation to the Association.

 

I think that last bit shows the office can request even further evidence if they feel someone is trying to game the system. In fact it appears to me the office of the commissioner can deny any DL request if it chooses. It is pretty clear you can't just DL a guy for phantom injuries without a lot of collaborative help for sure.

[HiAndTight]

Not true. This is form MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp?mc=faq

 

What I said was absolutely true. He would have to be placed on irrevocable waivers before he could be traded and then offered back to the Pirates. So if it's been made clear that not only would he not clear waivers, nor would the Pirates pass up taking him back, then how could we trade for him?

 

Maybe because teams do not stash players away as often as some on here think they do.

 

Maybe they do and absolutely NOBODY cares when they do?

 

Again, the Brewers have done this exact thing already with a Rule 5 player and Major League Baseball's only reaction was likely processing the paper work or whatever the hell they do. I doubt they gave it a second thought.

 

I think that last bit shows the office can request even further evidence if they feel someone is trying to game the system. In fact it appears to me the office of the commissioner can deny any DL request if it chooses. It is pretty clear you can't just DL a guy for phantom injuries without a lot of collaborative help for sure.

 

 

Are we really working this hard to prove something that everyone knows routinely happens?

 

I have VERY little doubt that you could find something similar to this in the minor leagues where phantom injuries and DL stints occur on a daily basis.

 

 

Bottom line, it happens, it doesn't happen on a daily basis because there is no need for it, but there is absolutely NO WAY to prove that Wang doesn't have a tired arm and arguing that the office of the Commissioner is going to investigate some Rule5 draft pick is absurd.

 

What, do you think they're going to pay some guy 5 million for proof that Wang's arm really isn't TIRED?

 

 

I know one instance wouldn't be major but does anyone think a team who asks someone to cheat for them once wouldn't ask them every time it would be convenient for the team? To get away with cheating the least amount of co-conspirators creates the greatest chances of getting away with it. For this scenario to work they would need the player, the manager, the GM, the trainers and any doctors they consulted to go along with it. What advantage does it provide for the player? None. Why would he go along with it? His career is better served going back and pitching in the minors or staying on the active roster and working on his craft. So the key person in the whole conspiracy is the one who has the least to gain form the move and most to lose. The next group that is key to the conspiracy is the trainers. Again what do they have to gain by cheating? Far less than they have to lose that is for sure.

 

First of all, cheating? C'mon. It's basic roster management.

Second, Wang absolutely has something to gain by it as opposed to being sent back to the Pirates.

1 year of service time. Oh, and in that year of service time he goes from making about 1200 bucks a month(I don't recall exactly what a player in A ball makes, but it's a paltry sum) vs making about 500 thousand dollars. That's not nothing.

Third, Wang's career would be best served pitching in the minors. Sure. And after a couple weeks, he could be sent down to the minor leagues and pitch there for 6 months.

 

 

I can't believe the word "conspiracy," is being used for something that is so basic and happens so routinely in baseball. Players have been sent to the DL before and have been upset about it and nothing has happened. Given how badly Wang wanted to make the team what it benefits him to stay on a big league roster(salary already mentioned, but lets not forget potential bonuses if they make/win a playoff series) I really doubt he'd make a sound about it.

 

 

 

Bottom line, baseball has a LOT more to worry about than investigating a 22 year old kid going to the DL for a tired arm.

[paul253]

What would Pittsburgh ask in return for Wang at this point? Could we give up a Burgos or a Donovan Hand or someone like that? Would that be enough? Pittsburgh essentially gets a free player and we get to move Wang to Wisconsin. If Melvin isn't talking to Pittsburgh about it he should be.

[brewcrewdue80]

Wait, the way I've read on Rule 5 players is that Wang can be traded but the receiving team must keep him on their 25man for the season. Aside from Houston/Chicago what teams can really take Wang on w/o damaging their season like he's done for Milw? Maybe Arizona as well?

 

H&T please share the info you are going by? I read the MLB Rule 5 page and to me I get this from it

 

Wang can be returned to Pittsburgh w/o going through waivers first. It's when Pittsburgh declines the return that Wang is then sent through waivers.

And that Milwaukee can trade Wang with that team then having to keep Wang or return him to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile that team has lost some prospect in trade so you figure the Astros/Cubs/DBacks would keep him the remainder of the season....Besides, Wang has just how many more days? Are we at 54 days today? so 36 more? One would have to figure Wang in trade is in the form of a competitive balance pick and/or Slot money in International spending. I don't see a player coming in return for Wang unless it was Milwaukee trading one to Pittsburgh.

[paul253]

Wait, the way I've read on Rule 5 players is that Wang can be traded but the receiving team must keep him on their 25man for the season. Aside from Houston/Chicago what teams can really take Wang on w/o damaging their season like he's done for Milw? Maybe Arizona as well?

 

Well we wouldn't be trading Wang we'd technically be trading FOR him (even though we already own his rights). I'm pretty sure if you trade for him he can then be placed in the minor leagues. So give Pittsburgh a player (or cash) to complete the trade then you can take Wang off the roster. Pittsburgh can't ask for too much because really their only leverage is that we don't want him on the 25 man roster.

[logan82]

No, he can't. He has to stay on someone's MLB roster unless he passes through waivers.

[paul253]

No, he can't. He has to stay on someone's MLB roster unless he passes through waivers.

Yep you are correct. I didn't realize that if Pittsburgh took him back he had to stay on Pittsburgh's roster. Is it even worth placing him on waivers or is it pretty much guaranteed someone will claim him?

[lcbj68c]

It feels like I'm repeating myself, but the only ways Wang can be off Milwaukee's 25-man roster:

 

1) He is waived and claimed by another club.

2) He is traded to any club, however that club MUST keep Wang on their own 25man roster.

3) He is waived and not claimed by another club and Pittsburg takes him back for $25k, placing him into their own minor league system.

4) He is waived, not taken by another club & Pittsburg declines to take him back for the measley 25k and instead allows Milwaukee to keep him in exchange for something else of value.

5) He is placed on the 15day or 60day DL. However, he would need 90 days of service time on the active roster over two years if placed on the DL. He has 56 days already. He COULD gain 28 days in September when rosters expand and still not need to pitch and "hurt the Brewers playoff chances". As of 5/24/14, he would need essentially 6 more days (+ Sept) on the active roster in order to satisfy the 90 day requirement and be able to be placed in Huntsville, Brevard, or wherever next year. Unless of course, you think the DL detectives are going to come running and investigate his placement on the DL. Of which, I've yet to find any precident for.

[Thurston Fluff]

What I said was absolutely true. He would have to be placed on irrevocable waivers before he could be traded and then offered back to the Pirates. So if it's been made clear that not only would he not clear waivers, nor would the Pirates pass up taking him back, then how could we trade for him?

 

NO he doesn't. I posted a link directly from MLB that says he does not. Please take some time to look at the material directly from the source before repeating the same false statements. TO make it easier for you here is the relevant section verbatim.

Can players selected in the Rule 5 Draft be traded?

 

Teams may trade a player selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but the same rules regarding roster placement apply to the player's new team.

 

There is nothing about going through waivers or having to offer him back to the original team first. Other have posted the entire rule five rules that showed you are wrong as well. Now please accept you just have it wrong. There is nothing wrong with being wrong. Lord knows I have been enough. But it gets old when people have the link provided for them and they keep repeating the same false statement.

Are we really working this hard to prove something that everyone knows routinely happens?

 

Everyone? It seems to me there are plenty of people on this board who have disagreed with that. It is an opinion of some nothing more. An opinion, by the way, based solely on a blind assessment of the situation without any access to any medical records or anything. I posted the actual rules that shows your assertion that they didn't even need to have a doctor look at him to claim he has dead arm to be totally false. You have zero proof it happens, other than some vague idea that it happens all the time. I know it was based on situations such as Ford conveniently getting DLed but you did not have access to the actual medical records nor did you actually have any idea of whether or not that was something being discussed prior to his last outing or not. Thus it is just conjecture on your part. I have posted the actual CBA showing there does indeed have to be documented evidence of an injury by a doctor before they can apply for it. I also pointed out the league office could ask for more before granting a DL stay. I tend to think basing an opinion on factual verifiable evidence tends to be much more accurate than vague, everybody does it all the time, sort of opinions. At the very least it should count as some sort of acceptance that the league has actually addressed that form or getting around the rules.

[lcbj68c]

I've searched high and low and can't find a single instance where the DL form submitted by the doctor has been rejected by the Office of the Commissioner of MLB. I can't find a single instance where medical investigators were summoned to the city of a ballclub to conduct an evaluation of a player to deem them fit for the DL. If it happens, then by gosh, I'm wrong. I don't see any negative to the Brewers placing Wang on the 15-day DL with general fatigue if they feel they need a different long man in the pen for those games they are losing and need innings.

[young guns]

Can players selected in the Rule 5 Draft be traded?

 

Teams may trade a player selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but the same rules regarding roster placement apply to the player's new team.

This only pertains to the brewers trading him to another team, not the brewers trading someone to the pirates so we can keep wang without the rule 5 stipulations and send him down to onthe minors.

 

With the waivers issue, there sems to be some confusion. There were 2 articles posted that seem to contradict each other. http://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3517

This one says a player must pass through waivers.

7. If a club decides not to keep a player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 draft on its MLB 25-man Active List (and/or MLB DL), the player must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, where any of the other 29 MLB clubs can claim the player for the $25,000 Rule 5 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 obligations.

 

8. If the Rule 5 player is not claimed off Outright Waivers, the player then must be offered back to the club from which he was drafted, and the player's former club can reclaim the player for $25,000, with the player being automatically outrighted to the Reserve List of the minor league club from which he was drafted.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp?mc=faq

This one, which is actually an faq, is a little more vague.

If the player does not remain on the Major League roster, he is offered back to the team from which he was selected for $25,000. If his original team declines, the receiving team may waive the player.

Does this mean he then has to go through waivers or are they saying he can be placed in the minors now? Way to not be clear.

 

Then there is the story about dickys rule 5 experience http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080329&content_id=2464940&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&fext=.jsp which states specifically that he went through waivers before the trade happened which allowed the Ms to keep him.

The right-handed Dickey cleared waivers before the Mariners and Twins worked out the deal, which allowed Seattle to send Dickey to the Minors.

It doesn't really say if he had to go through waivers or if he was going through and the idea of a trade was broached and then not finalized till he was through by coincidence.

 

So basicly, there isn't really a clear answer, but the evidence seems to suggest waivers needs to happen before the brewers could send him to the minors, either through trade with the pirates or pirates not wanting him back.

 

Each of these links have appeared in the thread previously, kudos to those who did the leg work to find them.

[SRB]

Then there is the story about dickys rule 5 experience http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080329&content_id=2464940&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&fext=.jsp which states specifically that he went through waivers before the trade happened which allowed the Ms to keep him.

The right-handed Dickey cleared waivers before the Mariners and Twins worked out the deal, which allowed Seattle to send Dickey to the Minors.

It doesn't really say if he had to go through waivers or if he was going through and the idea of a trade was broached and then not finalized till he was through by coincidence.

 

This example raises a much more important question: how did we go 29 pages without anybody making a Rule 5 Wang/Dickey joke?

[Point Beer Is Best]

Do the rules change once the season starts? The Cubs selected Josh Hamilton from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft, and then immediately traded him to the Reds for cash (they had a pre-draft arrangement).

 

If Wang must indeed clear waivers, he will have zero trade value since any team that is interested can claim him for free and assume his roster situation.

 

Somebody make a flowchart!

[Thurston Fluff]

I've searched high and low and can't find a single instance where the DL form submitted by the doctor has been rejected by the Office of the Commissioner of MLB. I can't find a single instance where medical investigators were summoned to the city of a ballclub to conduct an evaluation of a player to deem them fit for the DL. If it happens, then by gosh, I'm wrong. I don't see any negative to the Brewers placing Wang on the 15-day DL with general fatigue if they feel they need a different long man in the pen for those games they are losing and need innings.

 

Have you found a single actual submitted report? I doubt you would. Medical reports to the commissioners offices are not typically made public. In fact I'd guess medical reports are part of patient confidentiality laws. They are, after all, a report from a doctor about a patient.

My guess would be the lack of those instances would mean one of two things. There may have been injury requests that have been denied without anyone reporting it. One would think it possible because reporters don't usually ask if the team tried to get a guy on the DL who doesn't appear to have an injury. Obviously the team would not share that information anyway. But I doubt the question ever got asked. A reporter isn't going to ask a team if they attempted to cheat but failed.

The second possibility is there has actually never been a failed request but there could be two reasons for that. One is nobody ever tried to do it without at least reasonable evidence of a slight injury. Or two the league just doesn't care and automatically accepts any request no matter what. Of all of them I think that the least likely. The players union would have a say in that and it is unlikely no player ever said something about it. If it is a routine sort of thing it would have been challenged at some point. Have you ever seen something done to a player that was against the CBA that the union did not intervene on the player's behalf? Anything that is collectively bargained is something of importance to the union members. If they collectively bargained a procedure to make sure players are not hidden on DL's it is likely, almost certain, it is something players will hold teams to.

I guess it is possible it does happen but I think it is as reasonable to think it does not. I seriously doubt it is routinely done. I can't think of a single form of routine cheating that not only goes unpunished but unchallenged forever. Not when there are vested interests by others that it doesn't happen anyway.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

If the Brewers are looking to bolster their roster with a midseason pickup, is Wang a guy they could move?

[lcbj68c]

Have you found a single actual submitted report? I doubt you would. Medical reports to the commissioners offices are not typically made public. In fact I'd guess medical reports are part of patient confidentiality laws. They are, after all, a report from a doctor about a patient.

 

No. I never thought that I would. What I am saying is I can't find a single media report of a team placing a player on the DL and then all of a sudden, he's not on the DL because the league denied it.

 

I guess it is possible it does happen but I think it is as reasonable to think it does not. I seriously doubt it is routinely done. I can't think of a single form of routine cheating that not only goes unpunished but unchallenged forever. Not when there are vested interests by others that it doesn't happen anyway.

 

It is reasonable to think that it doesn't happen. We simply don't know. But again, I've yet to see a single media report that retracts a report of a player being put on the DL. If the player's union had such a vested interest, they'd make darn sure the media got a hold of the story and ran with it. In this instance, there is nothing negative to the players collective bargaining interests in having two guys getting MLB contracts simultaneously as opposed to just Wang. The only potential loser in the deal is the Pirates and I don't see them running around having a fit if Wang goes to the DL with some sort of fatigue. When is the last time he pitched a full season in baseball? 2010? That's not to say that Wang has been overworked this season, I just don't see it being a huge red flag if he develops something worthy of going on the DL. Players get pricked by a cactus and supposedly can't play for weeks on end. I don't see Wang's known situation causing the injury police to come running. I fully disclose that I could be wrong. They could end up hiring Samuel Dash for all I know.

[young guns]

Do the rules change once the season starts? The Cubs selected Josh Hamilton from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft, and then immediately traded him to the Reds for cash (they had a pre-draft arrangement).

 

If Wang must indeed clear waivers, he will have zero trade value since any team that is interested can claim him for free and assume his roster situation.

 

Somebody make a flowchart!

No. A team can trade a rule 5 player to another team and that new team takes on the rule 5 restrictions.

 

So we have a player, lets call him 5. Team B drafts 5 from team A. Team B can trade 5 to team C, team C can be any team including team A, and they will be forced to follow the rule 5 restrictions. It appears then that if no one wants to trade for 5 and team B doesn't want to keep him on the 25 anymore, 5 must go through waivers and if he isn't claimed then team B can try to work out a trade with A to keep him and put him in thwir minors, team A takes him back, or team A just lets team B keep him.

[RightFieldCoder]

With the waivers issue, there sems to be some confusion. There were 2 articles posted that seem to contradict each other. http://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3517

This one says a player must pass through waivers.

7. If a club decides not to keep a player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 draft on its MLB 25-man Active List (and/or MLB DL), the player must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, where any of the other 29 MLB clubs can claim the player for the $25,000 Rule 5 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 obligations.

 

8. If the Rule 5 player is not claimed off Outright Waivers, the player then must be offered back to the club from which he was drafted, and the player's former club can reclaim the player for $25,000, with the player being automatically outrighted to the Reserve List of the minor league club from which he was drafted.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp?mc=faq

This one, which is actually an faq, is a little more vague.

If the player does not remain on the Major League roster, he is offered back to the team from which he was selected for $25,000. If his original team declines, the receiving team may waive the player.

Does this mean he then has to go through waivers or are they saying he can be placed in the minors now? Way to not be clear.

Being "placed on waivers" (what the first link is talking about) is the announcement that a player will be sent to the minors. Being "waived" (the second link) is the act of sending the player to the minors after the announcement is made and nobody claims him. We tend to think of them as synonymous, but they are two distinct actions.

[HiAndTight]

I've searched high and low and can't find a single instance where the DL form submitted by the doctor has been rejected by the Office of the Commissioner of MLB. I can't find a single instance where medical investigators were summoned to the city of a ballclub to conduct an evaluation of a player to deem them fit for the DL. If it happens, then by gosh, I'm wrong. I don't see any negative to the Brewers placing Wang on the 15-day DL with general fatigue if they feel they need a different long man in the pen for those games they are losing and need innings.

 

Have you found a single actual submitted report? I doubt you would. Medical reports to the commissioners offices are not typically made public. In fact I'd guess medical reports are part of patient confidentiality laws. They are, after all, a report from a doctor about a patient.

My guess would be the lack of those instances would mean one of two things. There may have been injury requests that have been denied without anyone reporting it. One would think it possible because reporters don't usually ask if the team tried to get a guy on the DL who doesn't appear to have an injury. Obviously the team would not share that information anyway. But I doubt the question ever got asked. A reporter isn't going to ask a team if they attempted to cheat but failed.

The second possibility is there has actually never been a failed request but there could be two reasons for that. One is nobody ever tried to do it without at least reasonable evidence of a slight injury. Or two the league just doesn't care and automatically accepts any request no matter what. Of all of them I think that the least likely. The players union would have a say in that and it is unlikely no player ever said something about it. If it is a routine sort of thing it would have been challenged at some point. Have you ever seen something done to a player that was against the CBA that the union did not intervene on the player's behalf? Anything that is collectively bargained is something of importance to the union members. If they collectively bargained a procedure to make sure players are not hidden on DL's it is likely, almost certain, it is something players will hold teams to.

I guess it is possible it does happen but I think it is as reasonable to think it does not. I seriously doubt it is routinely done. I can't think of a single form of routine cheating that not only goes unpunished but unchallenged forever. Not when there are vested interests by others that it doesn't happen anyway.

 

 

 

Again, lets use our imagination and say that it's possible that MLB is really strict and polices DL stints to the extent that you're suggesting. That it would be considered "cheating," in baseball to declare that a pitcher has a "tired arm," something that routinely sends players to the DL in baseball.

 

In your own argument, you're saying that the player that's being sent to the DL would have to "intervene on the players behalf." Why on Earth would Wang want them to do this? Because he'd rather be pitching for a few grand a year as opposed to earning service time on a major league roster making half a million dollars a year? If the players union is going to intervene, there has to be an aggrieved party. The only one you could even argue is an aggrieved party in this case would be the Pirates the players union wouldn't have any stake in fighting for them.

 

I think this is an extraordinary reach.

 

I won't say anything with absolute 100 percent certainty, but I would guess there is about as close to a 0 percent chance that MLB would act any differently if Wang was put on the DL than they have with the countless other players who have been put on the DL, including a nearly identical situation in Milwaukee in the recent past with Matt Ford.