Tuesday, March 29, 2005
In and Out
Snyder in, Stinnett out. Bruney in, Cormier out. McCracken in, Hairston out.
The Stinnett move surprised most observers, though Bob Melvin had taken care not to rule out the possibility of keeping the two youngsters on the roster. It's a bit disappointing, perhaps, in that the drop-off between Hill and Snyder and the remaining catchers in Tucson is pretty big if (or, rather, when) the injury bug hits. Still, it's hard to argue that both Hill and Snyder didn't have good springs; Melvin's bigger challenge will be to get both of them enough work.
The Bruney move wasn't real surprising, and could only be a short-term maneuver anyway once Valverde gets off the disabled list. Given Valverde's struggles this spring, however, Bruney could be up here a while.
Sending Hairston down wasn't a surprise, either -- it'd been telegraphed for weeks, frankly, ever since Q signed his minor-league contract. Hairston certainly didn't go down without a fight and has cemented his spot as the 26th man (or, perhaps, as trade bait). The bigger question (one of only two remaining, really) is who gets released to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for McCracken.
So Halsey pitches today, and must wonder if he has to throw a perfect game to secure his role as 5th in the rotation. But imagine the pressure on Michael Gosling when he pitches in front of 30,000 fans at BOB Thursday night. If he can handle that, then perhaps he really will sneak into the rotation.
The Stinnett move surprised most observers, though Bob Melvin had taken care not to rule out the possibility of keeping the two youngsters on the roster. It's a bit disappointing, perhaps, in that the drop-off between Hill and Snyder and the remaining catchers in Tucson is pretty big if (or, rather, when) the injury bug hits. Still, it's hard to argue that both Hill and Snyder didn't have good springs; Melvin's bigger challenge will be to get both of them enough work.
The Bruney move wasn't real surprising, and could only be a short-term maneuver anyway once Valverde gets off the disabled list. Given Valverde's struggles this spring, however, Bruney could be up here a while.
Sending Hairston down wasn't a surprise, either -- it'd been telegraphed for weeks, frankly, ever since Q signed his minor-league contract. Hairston certainly didn't go down without a fight and has cemented his spot as the 26th man (or, perhaps, as trade bait). The bigger question (one of only two remaining, really) is who gets released to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for McCracken.
So Halsey pitches today, and must wonder if he has to throw a perfect game to secure his role as 5th in the rotation. But imagine the pressure on Michael Gosling when he pitches in front of 30,000 fans at BOB Thursday night. If he can handle that, then perhaps he really will sneak into the rotation.
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