Indians Call up Brad Snyder, Option Sowers

Well I'm not sure anybody saw this one coming.

Brad Snyder was called up today. I imagine he'll be going down when Laffey is called up tomorrow, unless the Indians go short a pitcher (Mastny?) for a while...which would make no sense.

5 months ago xrickx Comment 20 comments 0 recs |

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hahahahaha this is hilarious! HIRE SYDNOR

Sizemore-Shapiro 2008. The Official Red Bull of Let's Go Tribe Game Threads.

by Gradyforpresident on Apr 27, 2008 11:46 AM EDT 0 recs

Why hilarious?

Sowers wasn’t going to pitch again in the next few days, so Snyder can do the pinch-running thing for a day. Laffey is going to start Monday, and I assume he’ll also start on May 3rd against KC since Sowers has to spend 15 days in Buffalo.

by xrickx on Apr 27, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

well they can’t call benfran back up for a few more days and grady did tweak that ankle yesterday, so it does make some sense.

shapiro and his expanded 25-man roster. always working, that guy.

by macasson on Apr 27, 2008 12:02 PM EDT 0 recs

True. If Grady’s not running well and Guti has to slide into center, Snyder’s our next best outfield defender. Plus, this is his last option year. Plus, he’s at least as likely to hit a home run as is Travis Hafner presently. Plus, (this had nothing to do with the decision) we kept him over Brian Barton. There’s got to be a reason.

by fleerdon on Apr 27, 2008 12:38 PM EDT up 0 recs

is ‘plus’ the new ‘also!’?

by macasson on Apr 27, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

Gah. This roster turnover is starting to look like that of a McDonald’s.

by cclemens31 on Apr 27, 2008 12:06 PM EDT 0 recs

I wanted Sowers to make the starts for Jake…

by mjschaefer on Apr 27, 2008 12:50 PM EDT 0 recs

Well, Laffey is more or less guaranteed two starts, tomorrow and Saturday, because Sowers can’t be recalled until Wednesday, May 7.

26 – Sowers (recalled and starts)
27 – Sabathia (Sowers demoted for extra player)
28 – Laffey (recalled and starts)
29 – Carmona
30 – Lee
1 – Byrd (Sowers starts for Buffalo)
2 – Sabathia
3 – Laffey
4 – Carmona (Laffey demoted for extra player)
5 – off
6 – Lee (Sowers starts for Buffalo, short pitch count)
7 – Sabathia
8 – Byrd (Laffey starts for Buffalo)
9 – Carmona
10 – Sowers (recalled and starts)
11 – Lee
12 – Sabathia
13 – Byrd (Laffey starts for Buffalo)
14 – Carmona
15 – Sowers
16 – Lee (Sowers demoted for extra player)
17 – Sabathia
18 – Byrd
19 – off (Laffey starts for Buffalo)
20 – Carmona (Sowers starts for Buffalo)
21 – Lee
22 – Sabathia
23 – Byrd
24 – Laffey (recalled and starts)
25 – Carmona (Laffey demoted for extra player) (Sowers starts for Buffalo, short pitch count)
26 – Lee
27 – Sabathia
28 – Byrd
29 – off (Sowers starts for Buffalo)
30 – Carmona (Laffey starts for Buffalo)
31 – Lee
1 – Sabathia
2 – Byrd
3 – Sowers (recalled and starts)

and so on. They could do this all season. Why would they?

For one thing, the main four starters get 7 starts each in a stretch of 33 games after Monday, while the spot starters only get a total of five. That is a more optimal rotation than a straight five-man.

They also cover all their fifth starter needs for 36 games, 39 days, while Sowers and Laffey accrue only 7-8 days of service time each.

More important, for 20 of those 36 games, they get to have an extra guy on the roster, either an 8th reliever or a 5th bench player.

by Jay on Apr 28, 2008 12:24 AM EDT up 0 recs

Whoa. Impressive. I assume that the outfielder/bench guy actually has to be two guys due to the recall time requirements. I guess these guys are Francisco and Snyder. Makes keeping Marte on the roster less of a burden.

Still seems extremely unlikely. Either Sowers or Laffey will hopefully put up two good starts in a row making it less likely they would get sent down. More importantly, there are psyches to deal with. Right now Snyder is pleased as punch, but Laffey, Sowers, and Francisco wouldn’t be having too much fun.

by oxforddave on Apr 28, 2008 10:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

They may not take it to this level, no. But they will be inclined to skip the spot now and then, in part because they put a priority on starting C.C. exactly every five days whenever possible last season, and I assume they’re still into that. Doing that means bumping Byrd or others around a bit, and the easiest thing ends up being keeping everyone but the fifth guy lined up. What I did above is not even the most extreme version, by the way—after Laffey’s May 3 start, they literally could alternate the two guys for every start, keeping an extra roster spot open for every other game.

That results in having the fifth guy go 7-9 games without a start sometimes, and there’s not much reason to just have him taking up a roster spot for those 7-9 games. We have the luxury of having a couple of sixth starters who are already on options and who are practically twins in terms of style and effectiveness—you don’t see teams do this usually because it’s very rare to have the opportunity. I don’t know why they wouldn’t spread it around a little, optimize the big-league rotation, give them both some major-league exposure rather than just one, and keep an extra player around in the meantime.

I don’t know, by the way, that it would always be a bench guy. I think it would just as likely be a bullpen guy, but the bench guy is more of a priority with Sizemore day-to-day.

by Jay on Apr 28, 2008 11:58 AM EDT up 0 recs

Just to clarify, you can’t alternate the two guys if there are no off-days for the ten days immediately following one of their starts, but that won’t happen more than once or twice.

by Jay on Apr 28, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

That’s all really interesting.

One question: do you think there is a chance Adam Miller will make his major league debut in there? I’m guessing the front office would want him to pitch at home, against a weak lineup, on perfect rest, etc.

by SanD on Apr 28, 2008 1:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

As long as Laffey and Sowers are serviceable, I think they give Miller a good long time to assert himself in Buffalo, at least a month or two.

by Jay on Apr 28, 2008 2:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

it’s amazing how quickly laffey and sowers become yesterday’s news. Give the prospects a chance, wedge and shapiro!

Asdrubal is blocking Josh Rodriquez! Why is Ben Francisco getting called up when Crowe is sitting right there! We need to see what we have in these young guys before it’s too late. Poor poor handling of prospects and roster management, I say!

by Brick. on Apr 28, 2008 2:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

so will they swap Mastny for Laffey or send Snyder down after today?

by palcal on Apr 27, 2008 12:51 PM EDT 0 recs

I wouldn’t be surprised if they sent Mastny down. I think Wedge has very little faith in Michaels.

by gahnki on Apr 27, 2008 1:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

I don’t see them sending Mastny down, because I don’t know who else they call up to take his place if/when they need that 7th bullpen spot back. If Mastny is sent down tomorrow, he can’t come back until a week from Thursday.

by Jay on Apr 27, 2008 11:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Andy: “Oh hey Brad! Good to see you man, how have things been going??”

Brad: “Andy! miss you down in Buffalo man! The tape measures just don’t get used anymore. Well, things are going pretty good, I’m super pumped about getting called up to the Show, where the balls are white and they carry your bags…”

Andy: “Yeah that is nice.”

Brad: “Plus, I mean, I hate the Yankees and can’t wait to take a couple of hacks against these chumps!”

Andy: “yeeeeah…. how’s your bunting?”

by gte619n on Apr 28, 2008 8:11 AM EDT 1 recs

Great, great post.

by Jay on Apr 28, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up 0 recs