Doesn't seem likely. If they bring him up this year, it was a pure baseball decision. If he makes the team to start next season, it was probably a 40 man roster consideration. If they wait until later in the season next year, it was probably an arbitration decision.
They can bring him up in September... and have him start on the team next season... and send him down at some point (so that he's only up here 172 days out of the 182 game season), and it will all be for arbitration reasons.
We'll never know... until he finally meets the complicated development plan goals that Luhnow has laid out for him and he finally makes his debut. Personally, I'd rather he struggle NOW, and be ready to make adjustments for next season, rather than delaying things... wouldn't you? But bringing him up now would start the clock... and make him a free agent in 2020 vs 2021. Again, I don't really care all that much about that scenario/dillema, but I wouldn't be surprised if the people delaying his promotion do. He's about to be 24... dominating AAA. You can defend the organization all you want, but there's not a lot of good reasons as to why his MLB career hasn't started yet.
(Vote for Springer) <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>30/30 plus should do it for George Springer, don't you think? <a href="http://t.co/9s9Vb4O7ZC">http://t.co/9s9Vb4O7ZC</a></p>— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/jluhnow/statuses/367755060681244672">August 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
completely agree regarding springer bring him up and let him struggle or thrive - but bring him up what, so you're taking away at bats for carter, barnes and hoes? fine by me hey, you might even be able to sell a few more tickets to games (hear that crane - tickets = money) don't worry about winning - our bullpen is so bad we will lose any games that springer tries to win for us arbitration clock - really? you have no payroll..... why is this even a concern today
Add a AAA championship to the list of minor league awards that mean absolutely nothing. If Luhnow can't accomplish ultimately building a winner at the major league level, he certainly will always have a job at rebuilding minor league systems.
That's not enough to delay arbitration. For instance, if they wait until mid April to call him up, it will delay free agency a year ( vs if he started on the opennf day roster), but not arbitration. To avoid Super 2 status they'd have to wait until late may or June to call him up.
I meant free agency. I thought they were more worried about his super 2 status THIS year when they didn't call him up as he was dominating early. If they're going to stall him NEXT year for that reason, they're really going to be criticized on the penny-pinching.
There is zero chance that he's not starting in CF at the beginning of next season unless he gets hurt.
Honestly if Springer is not up after the OKC season is over Luhnow should be raked over the coals every single day.
Then he should be getting his feet wet NOW. The only good reason for delaying him this long is if they are willing to delay him another month next year to push back his free agency.
AAA season could go on till late September (including playoffs). If Luhnow cares about him being the minor league player of the year, he probably cares about a AAA title as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure he already went on record saying he would stay in AAA for OKC's playoff games as well.
Luhnow wants his prospects to experience the playoffs at every level, it brings out a sort of competitiveness that doesn't exist in the regular season. And although the MiLB playoffs don't compare to the MLB playoffs, there is still a semblance of pressure that exists. I think it's good for our young guys to experience it as well, it's a culture.
Then why is Cosart starting in Oakland tonight? Why is Villar here? Something just doesn't add up for me, no logical reason to keep springer down and call those guys up, unless there is something there we don't know about