Wilkins called up, Davies to CS [Latest: Boras displeased about Davies' demotion, post 20]

[1992casey]

The rule that says that a player is to stay down for 10 days would cover most situations like this. But in this case, we have the oddity that Zach won't be needed for those days.

 

I would hope that Zach doesn't miss out on the opportunity to have some days off to do whatever he wants. Most players get four days, and those who participate in the game get two (unless the game is postponed until Wednesday).

[QuevedosTongue]

I don't think this means anything. Young players and their agents don't like the system and complain about, but that's all the Brewers are doing, working within the system. When the time comes, Borax will take Davies to free agency and sign with the highest bidder, like he always does. There is no loyalty with free agency on either side.

 

I would imagine Andy Wilkins and his agent are ecstatic about the decision.

[502 to Right]

Poor move by Stearns and for what? Basically nothing. I could *possibly* see a move like this for a team scrapping to win every game to eke into the playoffs, but that's clearly not the case here. I hope Stearns learns from this that he's not a Fantasy Baseball general manager and his decisions can adversely affect players.

 

 

 

Edit - I think this is the first time in history I've ever sided with Scott Boras on an issue. Nice job Stearns!

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't think this means anything. Young players and their agents don't like the system and complain about, but that's all the Brewers are doing, working within the system. When the time comes, Borax will take Davies to free agency and sign with the highest bidder, like he always does. There is no loyalty with free agency on either side.

 

I would imagine Andy Wilkins and his agent are ecstatic about the decision.

 

There's "working within the system" and there is being fair to players performing at a high level. Gomez was a Boras client when he signed a very team friendly deal with the Brewers. Any chance Davies will? Less likely now perhaps.

 

Making a player (Wilkins) and his agent who has no business in the major leagues happy accomplishes what exactly?

[dacbrewers]

A better solution would of been to Davies on the 7 day DL. He gets service time and gets paid.

[djoctagone]

i've often suggested that the brewers (or any other major league club, for that matter) should never open the season with a five-man rotation. what's the point of having five starting pitchers when the fourth guy likely won't pitch until the fifth or sixth day of the season, and the fifth guy might not get a start until a few weeks into the season?

 

if the #4 and/or#5 pitcher can be optioned with backdate into spring training and have the 10th day of being optioned be the scheduled day to start a game for the big league club, why shouldn't his team have an extra position player or two to take his spot(s) on the roster?

[DuWayne Steurer]

They brought up Wilkins because they needed an "extra bench guy". He's had one at bat. He may get one or two at bats in the St. Louis series, and then he'll be sent back down. So he'll get possibly 3 PH appearances, at the expense of costing ZD 24 grand and a lot of good will.

 

We all understand that's how the business *can* be gamed and worked, and it is a business, but there's times when the tiny little bit of whatever you think you're doing in a business sense isn't worth the human relations hit you're taking for the sake of getting 3 pinch hit at bats in pretty meaningless games.

[1992casey]

A better solution would of been to Davies on the 7 day DL. He gets service time and gets paid.

 

Except for concussions, the MLB DL requires a 15 day stay. I don't think you could invent a concussion. There's a lot of protocol involved because of the concerns they cause.

[jerichoholicninja]

Even though this move has absolutely nothing to do with money someone earlier nailed it. There's not loyalty anymore. Davies will go where ever the money is when he hits free agency whether he got an extra $24,000 this year or not.

 

Let's say this move didn't happen. When Davies is a free agent and the Brewers come to him and say, "Remember that time we were going to send you down for no reason and cost you $24,000 but didn't? Well please accept this offer that is $1M per year less than your best offer because we treated you so well." Ya, not gonna happen. The Brewers are playing within the rules and Boras is upset. The sun rose this morning too but that didn't make the news. If the players don't like it they need to get it changed in the next CBA otherwise this is what they agreed to.

[Jose Cardenal1]

If I was Stearns I would issue a statement in response to Boras:

 

While you and Zack may be disappointed in losing $24k, I can assure you Wilkins and his agent are thrilled. This move was never about cost containment but strictly about on the field strategy. Zack will be back in the rotation after the all-star break and for the foreseeable future.

 

Nip this in the bud and turn the tables on Boras by pitting him against Wilkins agent. The players union can't complain because its a zero sum game for them.

[Roderick]

 

I thought they said Davies is not going to start for Colorado, he's just going to throw a bullpen.

 

I assumed he was still going wherever the Brewers go. Is he actually joining the Skysox?

davies has to physically report to the city that the sky sox are playing in within three days of being optioned.

 

Even if the Brewers don't really care?

 

I guess I was fine with this if Davies just stayed in Milwaukee and did his normal routine other than suit up (short CS roster by one for that long). But if he actually has to go on the road in AAA, then I am thinking I wouldn't have done it.

[Thurston Fluff]

For Scott Boras to complain about a team using technicalities or grey areas for it's benefit is pretty obnoxious considering his past efforts. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/16/AR2009081602024.html

[logan82]

If the Brewers reputation wasn't hurt by how the stuff with Hardy went down, not much will. I get Boras putting on a show for one of his clients. That is his job. MLB isn't about relationships. It's about everyone looking out for their own best interest. The MLB team is trying to maximize the talent they get for their money. The players are weighing if they want big money or want to mitigate their risk and take a smaller contract.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Do we know for sure that Davies will lose 24k or is that just an assumption? I have not read that anywhere.

[JohnBriggs12]

They brought up Wilkins because they needed an "extra bench guy". He's had one at bat. He may get one or two at bats in the St. Louis series, and then he'll be sent back down. So he'll get possibly 3 PH appearances, at the expense of costing ZD 24 grand and a lot of good will.

 

We all understand that's how the business *can* be gamed and worked, and it is a business, but there's times when the tiny little bit of whatever you think you're doing in a business sense isn't worth the human relations hit you're taking for the sake of getting 3 pinch hit at bats in pretty meaningless games.

 

Amen to that . Respect the players who are performing on the field at a high level. Davies is. When you don't, it's noticed by everyone else. Stearns was never a player. In this case he needs to understand how players think.

[jerichoholicninja]

They brought up Wilkins because they needed an "extra bench guy". He's had one at bat. He may get one or two at bats in the St. Louis series, and then he'll be sent back down. So he'll get possibly 3 PH appearances, at the expense of costing ZD 24 grand and a lot of good will.

 

We all understand that's how the business *can* be gamed and worked, and it is a business, but there's times when the tiny little bit of whatever you think you're doing in a business sense isn't worth the human relations hit you're taking for the sake of getting 3 pinch hit at bats in pretty meaningless games.

 

Amen to that . Respect the players who are performing on the field at a high level. Davies is. When you don't, it's noticed by everyone else. Stearns was never a player. In this case he needs to understand how players think.

 

I'm sure the players are thinking, "Well, that sucks for Davies but he was a waste of a roster spot for the next week and now we don't have to rely on Yadiel Rivera or Martin Maldonado to pinch hit late in games."

[502 to Right]

I'm sure the players are thinking, "Well, that sucks for Davies but he was a waste of a roster spot for the next week and now we don't have to rely on Yadiel Rivera or Martin Maldonado to pinch hit late in games."

 

 

I highly doubt that's what they're thinking.

[502 to Right]

MLB isn't about relationships. It's about everyone looking out for their own best interest.

 

Spoken like a Fantasy Baseball owner. In real life, it's not the case. Baseball players are real human beings with thoughts, feelings, and opinions. The way to get the best out of them, in this day and age anyway, is not to treat them like chattel if you can help it. Stearns crapping on Zach Davies to get a couple of meaningless plate appearances out of marginal player is not a good use of human resources.

[logan82]

MLB isn't about relationships. It's about everyone looking out for their own best interest.

 

Spoken like a Fantasy Baseball owner. In real life, it's not the case. Baseball players are real human beings with thoughts, feelings, and opinions. The way to get the best out of them, in this day and age anyway, is not to treat them like chattel if you can help it. Stearns crapping on Zach Davies to get a couple of meaningless plate appearances out of marginal player is not a good use of human resources.

If you say so. I see little proof that this is true in MLB.

[brewcrewdue80]

How many other teams have done this with one of their starters over the last 10 years? Has it happened one time?

 

Julio Urias was just optioned to AAA. It Happens. I dunno how to look it up for you. But, I recall reading on a number of occasions in Fantasy, a SP being optioned to AAA because of the AS Break and non need for a Start for 10-14days. Davies hasn't started for the Team All Season. First start was Game 12.

 

You tell me a way to find those Optioned transactions for Baseball teams, I'll find some examples. Or waste a lot of time trying

[1992casey]

Urías is an unusual case. He needs to be kept under 115 innings. When he was called up, everyone knew from the get-go that being optioned was likely.

[jerichoholicninja]

It happened to Wei Yen Chen last year or two years ago.

[Ennder]

All star break makes all kids of weird things happen, this is not a big deal.

[Thurston Fluff]

MLB isn't about relationships. It's about everyone looking out for their own best interest.

 

Spoken like a Fantasy Baseball owner. In real life, it's not the case. Baseball players are real human beings with thoughts, feelings, and opinions. The way to get the best out of them, in this day and age anyway, is not to treat them like chattel if you can help it. Stearns crapping on Zach Davies to get a couple of meaningless plate appearances out of marginal player is not a good use of human resources.

 

If his thoughts, feelings and opinions are so self centered that a 10 day trip to the minors, when he wasn't playing anyway, trumps knowing a fringe major league player gets 10 days closer to a pension and a few days in the big dance then I am not sure I care about his thought feelings and opinions. Both players involved are making the same prorated salary. Service time isn't an issue other than it helps Wilkins get closer to a pension so the Brewers are not doing this for money or service time. They are doing it because it makes sense for the roster over the next 10 days. Boras would have no problem disrespecting anyone else if it helped his client for so much as an hour. So his whining rings hollow. Honestly I doubt Davies will have much of a problem when it is all said and done. No matter the reason, it sucks to get sent down so I understand if his first reaction is "what the hell?" I doubt he'll carry a grudge. If he does so what? After his six years of control are over we can't afford him if he's great and he's replaceable if he isn't. As Scott Boras' other client Prince Fielder showed us, being nice doesn't change that dynamic at all.

[RobertR]

$24k, plus per diem plus the inconvenience of a sudden move, is more than enough to be "self-centered". That's an awful cavalier attitude. Shouldn't Wilkins feel bad that he took money and service time from Davies all the while not moving the odds of the Brewers making the post-season one iota?

 

Zach Davies didn't deserve to lose one cent by being sent down. There's no short term gain to the Brewers by calling up Wilkins. You ended up punishing a valuable employee, and yes I consider $24k to a pre-arbitration player a punishment, while gaining nothing in the exchange. That's poor people management, whether the employee in question makes $24k per year or $500k per year.

 

Again, what's the gain? Wilkins stinks, has no future with the organization, and doesn't even play a position of need. Meanwhile, a performing player is justifiably mad at the organization for costing him a chunk of change. There's no calculus where this is a good move for the organization as they're not even close to contending. It doesn't make sense because what happens to the Brewers record over the next 10 days will a) not be related to Wilkins in any significant way and b) will have no long term effect on the organization.