Transactions: Carroll to DL

by Ryan on Apr 7, 2009 10:51 PM EDT in Transactions

Placed IF Jamey Carroll on the 15-Day Disabled List (left hand)

Purchased the Contract of IF Tony Graffanino; Recalled him to Cleveland

Carroll injured his wrist in his last at-bat of the spring; the Doug Brocail pitch broke a bone in the wrist (EDIT: actually, a bone in the back of the hand), and now he'll down for at least a month. If he has surgery to repair the fracture, it won't delay his return.

Carroll came in handy last season when pressed into full-time duty at second base after Asdrubal Cabrera was sent down to work on his hitting and Josh Barfield got hurt. With Barfield, DeRosa, and now Graffanino on the roster, the Indians have enough depth to handle second, but Carroll would have been the first option to play every day had Cabrera been out for a couple weeks.

Tony Graffanino should fit almost perfectly into Carroll's role, though he isn't the defender Carroll is. Tony can play every infield position, but I see his primary responsibility as backing up DeRosa at third and Cabrera at second. He's a better hitter than Carroll, and could be used in late inning matchups as a counter-move to a LOOGY entering the ballgame.

Josh Barfield shouldn't see any increase in at-bats or playing time in the field, since Graffanino can do everything Carroll could do.

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I’m beginning to wonder if Graffanino, Carroll, and Derosa all play out the entire season on the big league club if Travis Hafner turns into a $12MM pinch hitter. Part of the genius of the acquired flexibility might have had a nod to that real possibility.

by cheech99 on Apr 7, 2009 11:07 PM EDT reply actions

I think we’ll cut Hafner loose this year if there aren’t at least some signs that he can be an everyday DH. It’ll be a bitter pill to swallow.

by jhon on Apr 8, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

as in DFA? no way.

by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 8, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

You can’t see it? If he comes up nothing (I buy Chuck’s all-or-nothing thesis) it’s very grim.

What other options can you think of? 60-day him with anxiety disorder?

by jhon on Apr 8, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Queue up the blood test!

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on Apr 8, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

DL with shoulder issues. Not buying the all-or-nothing thing myself. Didn’t seem that way in ST.

by dgcambridge on Apr 8, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

He won’t be DFA’ed until and unless there is a major insurance settlement and/or the insurance policy ends. The Indians don’t release information on their insurance policies — I asked — so we’re not really going to know when that will happen.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Apr 8, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you happen to know who insures these deals, or this deal in particular?

by jhon on Apr 8, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

No idea.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Apr 8, 2009 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions

If he is nothing, sub .600 OPS’ing in May/June he is DL’d or benched for a long time. But no way they DFA him with that contract. The Yankees wouldn’t even do that.

by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 8, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions

But if somehow Hafner falls in between the all-or-nothing prognostication, then I think he hangs on.

by jhon on Apr 8, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I was watching the Astros game when he was HBP. I think he caught it on the back of the hand, not the wrist, which I believe is a better break. Four to six weeks is what Soloff says.

by odradek on Apr 8, 2009 3:33 AM EDT reply actions