Yep... those AAA teams better be shaking in their boots! I was this close to being totally beaten down by this whole situation and accepting the "stashing" strategy of Springer... not as the season creeps up, I'm starting to get angry about it all over again.
Not that it means anything, but this morning on MLB Network they were giving Springer some love when talking about prospects they're most excited to see in MLB this year. Brian Kenny made it sound like after his most recent chat with Luhnow, which I believe was earlier this morning on MLB radio, that he didn't feel like they intend to hold him down for service time issues. My work computer doesn't have speakers so I haven't been able to listen yet, so I don't know what was said.
Can you do us all a favor and at least wait till the season starts to flood every thread with your whining about Springer? If he tears up spring training, he's going to force their hand. I guarantee it. It's not an issue till it's an issue. Nothing has happened yet.
I can't imagine him getting faster. He should be stronger, though with how he swings, I'm not sure how much added strength matters. He crushes the ball. I think he will be held out to delay FA. I can't imagine they try and wait out Super II, but you never know.
The whining is over... I've accepted it. And at this point, it would be a MISTAKE to have him on the opening day roster, regardless of how he does in spring training. 3 more weeks of keeping him down gets you another year of club control. After sitting through all the reasons throughout last year of delaying his promotion... including the gems of the inevitable "gutting" in the rule V draft (um, nobody got selected), along with garnering valuable minor league playoff experience (only to have him sitting around for most of September doing nothing)... it won't make any sense to now have him in the opening day lineup when its clear what their motive has been. Believe me, its NOT an issue... that was ensured after failing to promote a 24 year old former 1st round pick who dominated the minors, and had nobody blocking his path in 2013.
You can't have it both ways, man. A huge mistake to bring him up 3 weeks early, but also a huge mistake to NOT bring him up, what...7 weeks early??
That was when I thought they weren't simply just stashing him (buying into all the other reasons). I wanted him to get his feet wet BEFORE opening day this year. Having him make his debut in September vs. opening day doesn't effect service time. Now, I'd rather wait 3 weeks and delay FA another year (he now may be affordable for this team as a 31 year old FA). Yes, having him start opening day would be a mistake when 3 weeks buys you another year. What's funny is that I don't believe they'll just wait 3 weeks... they may wait till June/July to delay arbitration another year. If it were up to me, he'd have been promoted LAST June, after he tore up AA, and past the super 2 deadline. I think he was wasting his time going up against has beens/never will be's at AAA... and I think it will be a waste of time for him to start the year there this year as a 24.5 year old (but they might as well see the plan to the end at this point... the plan that was outlined regardless of a player's performance).
That's your opinion. And a perfectly logical and reasonable one, at that. Others (the front office included) have the same exact opinion, except change the "3" in your sentence to a "7". Not any less logical or reasonable of a stance to take. It makes no sense that you can be completely in favor of one, and so completely opposed to the other.
I wanted him called up at some point in 2013. That was my stance... since he wasn't, he should not be called up till 3 weeks into 2014 as that buys you another year. Having him on the opening day roster does not get you another year... and that would have been the same as having him make his debut last september (service time would be the same). Are you saying we should be okay with waiting till June? (past the Super 2 deadline?). Hell, let him come up in 2015 with everybody else! I'm indifferent at this point... if he comes up and is an instant sensation, requiring no adjustment period, I would debate that the extra 3 weeks didn't really make that big of a difference, and he could have been mashing earlier. If he comes up and needs an adjustment period, he should have gotten it earlier. If he comes up and ultimately fails, the team could have found out about it earlier by promoting him sooner.
Your stance changed. Your previous stance is irrelevant now. Your stance is that they should wait 3 weeks, theirs is/was that they should wait 7. It makes no sense that you can be strongly in favor of 3, and diametrically opposed to 7. We're going in circles now though, so I'll drop it. Hopefully he pans out whenever he comes up.
I'm confused on which 7 you're referring to. Are you saying they should keep him down for 7 weeks to start this season? I'm pretty much indifferent to that at this point... as keeping him down till June/July wouldn't surprise me (even though he'd set a record of oldest player ever stashed for super-2 reasons). If you're saying the organization wants him on the opening day roster, I would be surprised by that... as they could have brought him up at the end of last year and the service time would be the same. Delaying his debut till 2014, but having him on the opening day roster, would mean that they definitely wasted an opportunity to bring him up last season, and would nullify an extra year of club control.
7, meaning the 3 weeks that you want him sitting this year, plus the 4-ish that you are enraged about that he should have been in the bigs for last year.
Ah, got ya (I think). I'm fundamentally against all of it, as stashing players for $$$ is really what only small market teams do (and I'm always going to be for aggressively pushing the "good" ones who are tearing up the minors... especially the "older" good ones)... but at this point, they're close enough to the free agency deadline that they might as well follow through with it. Having him start the season on the big league roster would mean that they denied him a chance to make his debut last September for little to zero reason... as he'll end up being a free agent at the same time now. Would have been nice to get his feet wet... but since they took the hard-line stance, no need to soften up now simply because he has a "hot spring" against a bevy of spring training pitchers who won't necessarily be in the big leagues, or big leaguers not really bringing their A stuff.
Good chunk of ST games will be aired on MLB Network. Tuesday, March 4, 1pm - LIVE, Houston Astros @ New York Mets Thursday, March 6, 10am - Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros Friday, March 7, 10am - New York Mets @ Houston Astros Saturday, March 8, 1pm - LIVE, New York Yankees @ Houston Astros SS Sunday, March 9, 7am - Houston Astros SS @ Philadelphia Phillies Monday, March 10, 3am - Toronto Blue Jays @ Houston Astros Thursday, March 13, 4am - Washington Nationals SS vs Houston Astros. Friday, March 14, 1pm - LIVE, St. Louis Cardinals @ Houston Astros Thursday, March 20, 12:30am - Houston Astros @ Washington Nationals Friday, March 21, 4am - Philadelphia Phillies @ Houston Astros SS Sunday, March 23, 10am - St. Louis Cardinals @ Houston Astros Monday, March 24, 7pm - Houston Astros @ Atlanta Braves Saturday March 29, 7am - Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers Sunday, March 30, 9am - Houston Astros SS @ Texas Rangers
Are any of them CSN games? I'd be weary if they were, as they'll likely be blacked out for non-comcast providers (just like NBATV games are).
