Today, Tyler Kepner brakes down the Chien Ming Wang situation. Here are the takeaways: - With an ERA of 34.50, CMW is off to the worst statistical start of any Yankees pitcher ever.
- Wang is probably going to get skipped in the rotation.
- He is out of minor league options and there is no possible way he could be sent down without other teams having the option of claiming him.
#1 - Yes, he has pitched horribly. I called him the greatest batting practice pitcher the world has ever seen. At a certain point, he's getting a little unlucky too. If you were trying to give up that many runs without just intentionally walking everyone, I'm not sure you could. It's hard to imagine he's gone from a guy who pitched about three full seasons with an ERA under 4.00 to the worst Major League pitcher in the history of the game.
#2 - Pulling him out of the rotation lines up Burnett, Pettitte and Sabathia to start against the Red Sox at Fenway. Even if there is nothing fundamentally wrong with him, there's just no way the Yankees could throw him to the wolves against the Sox based on what he's done so far.
#3 - This puts him at a huge disadvantage. Wang is a humble guy, and I think he would accept a tune-up start in AAA to get his feet back under him, if that were an option. Now he has to throw in side sessions and won't be able to face live batters until his next start in the majors.
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What will become of Chien Ming Wang? Is he ever going to be the dominating presence he once was? How many more disastrous showings is it going to take before the Yanks give up on him? Luckily his next start projects to be against Detroit at Comerica, because the fans at home have already turned on him in the worst way. I'm starting to get nervous.
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I find it hard to believe he is out of options.
ReplyDeletehttp://assets.espn.go.com/mlb/s/transanctionsprimer.html
ReplyDelete"Options"
After three years as a pro, a player must be protected on a team's 40-man roster, or he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft (more on that later). Once he's served those three years, and assuming he is added to the 40-man roster, his club then has what are called "options" on him.
When a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the 25-man Major League roster, he is on "optional assignment." One common misconception about the rules is that a player may only be "optioned out" three times. Actually, each player has three option years, and he can be sent up and down as many times as the club chooses within those three seasons.
When you hear that a player is "out of options," that means he's been on the 40-man roster during three different seasons, beginning with his fourth as a pro, and to be sent down again he'll have to clear waivers (more on those below).
I guess you can file me under the "one common misconception" persons.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Dayton Moore will pick him up on waivers and sign him to a 4yr/$57mil contract.
ReplyDeleteNot only is it the worst start in Yankees history, it is the single worst 3-game stretch (ERA-wise) of any pitcher since 1954.
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