Messenger and McClain Sent Down

by m34josh on Mar 5, 2008 9:41 PM PST

Messenger, McClain, and Harper sent down. Williamson released.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Al8H.cZKR8JVFUI4pRsLPlI5nYcB?slug=txgiantsmoves&prov=st&am p;type=lgns

Guess Messenger in AAA gives the Giants one more spot for Merkin or Threets with the big club. I wish they would've given McClain more of a shot but I guess they really think they have better options at first and third. Oh well!

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Ah

Much thanks to SoFa King Mike for fixing this up! The perfect opportunity has arisen!

Ahem...

I hear they sent him to Fresno to work on his decision-making-ability-ball.

Good riddance. You weren't very smart, and you were really really not very good. You also weren't Armando, though (nor as stupid, nor as crappy), so that was cool.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM!

by howtheyscored on Mar 5, 2008 9:46 PM PST reply actions

Re: Ah

You can't really see it in that picture, but the other punching-option was 'very soft baby'.

by boonitez on Mar 5, 2008 10:10 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

And also I'm curious as to why they'd feel confidant in their judgement of why to call up/send down/release players after about 4 spring training innings, especially if Williamson hasn't played in a little more than a year. Should they be releasing Lowry soon too?

by boonitez on Mar 5, 2008 10:13 PM PST reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

That was going to be my point. Williamson "failed to distinguish himself in two games this spring."

So, should we dump Sanchez, Lowry, Kline and Zito? (the answer for Kline is "yes") I'm glad Messenger and Williamson won't be taking a spot from a Valdez, Threets or Capellan, but is two spring training games enough to evaluate a pitcher's comeback attempt?

Maybe they've been crappy in camp too. I'm at the point where every decision the Giants make smells like bad. Unless they get rid of Kline.

The 2008 San Francisco Giants: Years of neglected rebuilding, continued.

by jasomack on Mar 5, 2008 10:31 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

I think it's probably a case where they knew what was going to happen coming in and only gave them 4 innings because it was spring training anyway.

Messenger has never been good, and he wasn't good last year either. There was no reason to expect anything else. McClain is a mid 30's lifetime minor leaguer, so there's no reason to think he was part of any plans, anyway. I don't know much about Williamson, but I imagine it's a similar story. These moves probably have nothing to do with ST performances and everything to do with either 1) the rest of the roster, or 2) past performances.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM!

by howtheyscored on Mar 5, 2008 10:39 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

I agree with Messenger. I'm going to guess he hasn't shown them anything improved in camp, and they had an idea he'd be starting off at AAA, after seeing him last year.

With Williamson... I guess I'll give the benefit of the doubt as well... but it's hard today. I just want to call out every move the Giants make as total crap, and say they should have done the opposite. I guess it IS possible that he wasn't throwing that well in camp and they gave him a shot to catch on somewhere else. But I'm at the point where I can see the Giants deciding after two outings that player A is crap, but player B (worse stats) is worth looking at more. The Giants actually have 15 pitchers with an ERA of 6.75 or higher now... so, it's true that Williamson hasn't done anything to distinguish himself from the other pitchers!

But part of me sees Sabean twisting his sinister-looking mustache (he has one in his office for when he makes evil personnel moves to sabotage the club's future) and going "I can't keep Williamson, Yabu and Kline... that'd be too obvious."

The 2008 San Francisco Giants: Years of neglected rebuilding, continued.

by jasomack on Mar 5, 2008 10:53 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

With the exception of walking nine straight batters, throwing two to the backstop and trying to pick off the lemonade vendor, it's not really a good idea to make decisions based on a couple of spring training innings.

by MidKnight on Mar 5, 2008 10:37 PM PST reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

See above for my explanation. Short version: I don't know Williamson's deal, but both McClain and Messenger have no place on a ML roster based on their actual careers and I'm sure that had more to do with the decisions than any ST sample size ever would have.

He is Vengeance. He is the Knight. He is Dave Righetti. PRAY TO HIM!

by howtheyscored on Mar 5, 2008 10:41 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

I agree. Messenger doesn't deserve a place on the roster and McClain is about ten years past being useful. I was referring to Williamson, who has some strong upside and didn't really get much a chance to show it.

by MidKnight on Mar 5, 2008 10:55 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

Even with Messenger being sent down, the Giants have plenty of righthanded relievers in Brian Wilson, Brad Hennessey, Tyler Walker and Vinnie Chulk. Even if they go with 12 pitchers instead of their stated possibility of 11, wouldn't having four righties and three lefties in the pen make for a nice balance?

If he is out of options, I would look for the Giants to start Perkin' Merkin out in Fresno on a rehab assignment.

by sharksrog on Mar 5, 2008 11:53 PM PST reply actions

Merkin

Roger, do you think it's impossible that Valdez could begin the season in the Giants' pen?

"I think I'd trust Amy Winehouse to guard my bag of coke before I'd trust Sabes to build my offense." -Dan Szymborski, Baseball Think Factory

by Lyle @ McCovey Chronicles on Mar 6, 2008 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Merkin

My guess would be that if Perkin' Merkin keeps striking out the side, Brian Sabean will look at his young age and exceptional Spring Training accomplishments and say no.

In serious, though, Valdez certainly hasn't done anything to hurt himself. I didn't really expect his arm to be ready, but it certainly appears thus far to be so.

So now the Giants have the good problem that if they decide to go with "only" 11 pitchers this season, Merkin would potentially be the fifth righthander out of the bullpen. Not necessarily the last guy to be used out of the bullpen, but including Brian Wilson, Brad Hennessey, Tyler Walker and Vinnie Chulk, righthander #5.

That would allow the Giants to keep only one left out of the pen. If they wish to keep Jose Capellan, that would mean he would be the only southpaw. I would love to see the Giants trade Steve Kline, and I don't think Erick Threets will cut it (although I'd like to see the kid from Livermore do so). I'm not sure how many options Jack Taschner or Patrick Misch have.

My best guess (and it is merely that) would be that if Merkin keeps pitching well and remains healthy, the Giants will indeed keep him up and carry a dozen pitchers.

The early schedule is probably light, which would help facilitate carrying 11 pitchers, but the starters likely won't be going quite as deeply into the game as they will later in the season.

Valdez and Capellan would both seem to be wild cards with regard to how many pitchers the Giants will keep. It probably wouldn't hurt if the Giants traded a couple of their older relievers in order to assure spots for Valdez and Capellan. There is both a "V" and a "C" in victory.

by sharksrog on Mar 6, 2008 1:38 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Messenger and McClain Sent Down

woa

just a few days ago, i was getting ripped for asking why williamson was getting a shot in the first place

now give broshuis a couple innings

by bacci40 on Mar 6, 2008 1:02 AM PST reply actions

I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

I know he asn't been above AA but if he could hit as a 1B then I would have taken him. I hope he'll at least go to AAA.

Coming to you from the Land of Many Beers

by WalrusMan on Mar 6, 2008 8:05 AM PST reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

If he's wise, he should. I liked him, too.

He's got a good chance to be called up if and when Ort starts to struggle.

by xanthan on Mar 6, 2008 8:21 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

I'd go with just "when."

by KCE on Mar 6, 2008 8:26 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

OPTIMISM WEEK

by xanthan on Mar 6, 2008 8:34 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

That's a shame. I was hoping he'd be in the 1B mix for a while, yet.

Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 6, 2008 9:22 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

Given that Dan Ortmeier is likely going to fail at first base, all Harper has to do is hit very well in the minors, and he might still get a shot.

by sharksrog on Mar 6, 2008 11:02 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

I'm hoping Harper lands in Fresno. I'm doing team reports for the Grizzlies for SF Dugout this year. I really want to snap him up and parade him around as the reclaimaton project of 2008.

Democracy is lovely but baseball is more mature. BVCE supports Manny Burriss and SF Dugout.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Mar 6, 2008 11:21 AM PST up reply actions

Re: I'm sad that Harper was sent down..

harper should have gotten more games, he had some great games, he had too many pinch hit roles he should have started more, give the man a chance considering we have nothing at first base

"But if he's swinging at real flies, well, in that case there are two definite solutions: 1) Fresno 2) Ritalin." - howtheyscored

by CPGiant756 on Mar 6, 2008 11:48 AM PST up reply actions