Laffey shut down, Indians call up five others

Even as Josh Barfield comes off the DL and five Bisons become Indians for the rest of the way, Aaron Laffey has been shut down for the rest of the season with a sore left elbow.

The Indians ordered an MRI on Laffey's elbow after he gave up seven runs in each of his last two starts. While no damage was found, the team has opted to end his season at 150 innings — 30 fewer than he pitched last year.

Aubrey returns to the Indians bench and will be awarded an indeterminate number of AB at Marte or Garko or Dellucci's expense. Slocum and Mastny return to the bullpen, joined by Rundles and Meloan, who will make their Indians debuts. Meloan is a promising young pitcher received in the Blake deal.

Meanwhile, unlike the rest of the Indians, Travis Hafner is going to the playoffs — the Eastern League playoffs — continuing his rehab assignment by joining a lineup that includes Matt LaPorta, Wes Hodges and Carlos Santana.

As regular LGT readers know, Laffey needed to be activated by Thursday in order to reach one full year of service time by the end of the season. This premature end to his season ensures that he cannot become a free agent until after 2014, when he'll be 29, and if he spends just five more weeks in the minors, his first year of arbitration will be pushed back from 2011 to 2012.

over 3 years ago Jay 19 comments 0 recs |

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I’m curious to see Meloan. Everyone else is somewhat meh — I mean, Rich Rundles?

Despite all of my best intentions, I have not, in fact, grown up to be a debaser.

by zempf on Sep 2, 2008 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

by Brick. on Sep 2, 2008 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Rundles has had a terriffic season, and I’m actually somewhat optimistic he can stick in the pen. A couple numbers to point out:

v. lhb: 29.1 IP 17 H 5 R 1 HR 14 BB 40 K.

Numbers since June: 29.6 IP

by ClarkM on Sep 3, 2008 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Oops, didn’t mean to do that.

Numbers since June: 29.6 IP 22 H 8 R 2 HR 9 BB 35 K.

by ClarkM on Sep 3, 2008 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

In the radio broadcast last night they mentioned using Rundles as a LOOGY

by APV on Sep 3, 2008 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

As long as we are employing a 7 man bullpen, I see no reason not to have a LOOGY, so long as he’s effective. I think Rundles might be able to have some success in that role.

by ClarkM on Sep 3, 2008 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Any chance that Laffey and/or his agent make a stink about his callup getting held back so he doesn’t reach one year of service time? I know that other players have gotten upset about moves that seemed tied to holding back their service time and complained to the media about it.

The best thing probably is to hit [Grady] 2nd -- Jay

by Buckeye Brad on Sep 2, 2008 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

of course there’s a chance. but it doesn’t matter if they do. if he’d have stayed solid, he would have never brought this in to play. the team has every right to do so, and had every reason to do it, including giving him minor league innings to work things out, look at other guys, etc. beyond the no-brainer service time benefits.

by Brick. on Sep 2, 2008 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Right. Not that they have to do anything anyway. They can send him down after three straight perfect games.

For the obsessed:

• Laffey started the year with 58 days of service.
• Called up April 28, sent down July 26 — that’s 89 days. (He gets credit for the call-up date but not the send-down date — since each transaction is “as of that date’s game,” he’s in the majors for the call-up date and in the minors ont he send-down date. And yes, he gets credit for the All-Star break, too.)
• If he gets called up Sept 5 and completes the season through Sept 28, that’s 24 more days.
• 58 + 89 + 24 = 171
• Once a player gets 172 days, he’s credited with a full season, even though the season is actually 183 days.

by Jay on Sep 2, 2008 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

the obsessed appreciate the breakdown. i can’t believe how much i like this service time stuff.

by Brick. on Sep 2, 2008 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, then you’ll love the update …

Now that he’s shut down, Laffey will finish with 58 + 89 = 147 days. If he spends 33 days in the minors in 2009 or 2010, or 44 days combined, then he’ll finish 2010 at 2.125, safely below the usual Super Two threshold. So we’re probably looking at three more seasons at minimum salary, and if that doesn’t happen, it will only be because Laffey remains effective for most or all of the next two seasons.

by Jay on Sep 3, 2008 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions

ha. yeah, the shut down brought some more stuff in to play didn’t it.

i could easily see all that time happening at the beginning or end of next season. at the beginning to make sure laffey is back to early 08 form with the problems that came up the last couple months. that and because a guy like reyes is out of options. and late in the season if westbrook comes back to a full house. laffey has enough question marks and i hope the indians have enough depth that this will probably end up happening – as a resultant, not as a goal. but the main point is if he performs, who cares. if he doesn’t his cost can be mitigated as some level of condolence.

by Brick. on Sep 3, 2008 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Right.

You make a good point about Reyes. Between his out-of-option-ness and Laffey’s service time status, there is some extra incentive to give Reyes the nod over Laffey out of Spring Training. Basically, Reyes is a guy that we can only give a shot in April.

by Jay on Sep 3, 2008 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Not likely. Making a stink is (a) exceedingly rare and (b) pointless. The Indians have no obligation to call anyone up, ever.

The five guys called up all conceivably could get used in tonight’s game. Laffey could not be. It is very much the norm for a team to call up a starter on the day he will make a start and not before that.

On top of that, Laffey’s ERA since being sent down is 5.55, and he’s given up 18 runs in his last three starts. Never mind the callup, the Indians would be justified in just shutting him down for the year.

by Jay on Sep 2, 2008 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

i had actually thought they would shut him down. i kind of want them to if it saves some wear and tear.

by Brick. on Sep 2, 2008 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

You know for as much as people talk about shutting down pitchers this year, it rarely happens so far. There’s been a number of rookie pitchers who have recently been injured with minor injuries and have been rumored to be shut down, but are back in action following a brief 15 day DL stint. Johnny Cueto and Jonathon Sanchez come to mind. Andrew Miller as well.

by hans on Sep 2, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions