Another unplanned Sunday post. Last time Erika couldn't stop thinking about it, and the same could be said for me today.
I'm starting to believe that all the news I need (or is it want?) to learn can be found on Twitter before I find it anywhere else. The case was definitely solidified yesterday morning when this tweet came up in my feed:
Winn has been so abysmal this year that he's batting .213/.300/.295 (batting/on-base/slugging). He was designated for assignment by the Yankees, and the Cardinals came knocking.
WHY?
I wrote over at Baseball Digest a couple weeks ago about how the Cardinals' signing of Aaron Miles was unnecessary. Don't get me wrong - I like Aaron Miles. He's a good guy and he was a solid competitor for the Cardinals a couple of years ago. He was sent to AA, where he put up a rousing line of .279/.362/.344... let me remind you, this is in Double A. I was not the only one scratching my head and quietly (alright, maybe more like vocally) questioning the purpose of bringing Miles up at the expense of one of the CDD's beloved Baby Birds. This time the victim was Allen Craig, who had just been called up the day before and hadn't really seen any action since setting his locker back up in St. Louis.
What was the point? Craig got off to a rough start at the beginning of the year at both the major and then minor league level, but has recovered quite nicely to be built up to a .284/.346/.388 line. At Triple A.
So, fine, Tony can have his fun and let Miles run around on the big league team, play horrible defense with very little range, and be regaled by all for being the scrappy beast of a man he apparently is.
*Ahem* Okay. Sorry. I'll be good. Promise.
Back to Winn. Now let me get this straight - Jon Jay, who has been batting .375 off the bench and gone .302 overall (on the big league squad) was sent down so the Cards could sign another aging player who's seen better days. Rick Hummel tried to spell it out for us yesterday, but I finished the article feeling more frustrated than calmed.
Tony LaRussa had affectionately called the young guys running around the clubhouse his 'Baby Bench,' and many of us out in Cardinal Nation were having a good time seeing some of the guys we've been following up the ladder in the minors finally getting a consistent shot on the big league club. Granted, some of them (recent CDD favorite Joe Mather included) have had some struggles. This would be why the official word from the big guys is that the Baby Birds are being yo-yo'd around in order to get them more consistent at bats in the minors.
To that I call you-know-what. You cannot convince me in a million years that Randy Winn and Aaron Miles are doing or will do better on this team than guys like Jon Jay, Allen Craig, Joe Mather and Tyler Greene.
Viva el Baby Bench!
Yeah, as I tweeted yesterday, *both* moves were absolutely infuriating.
ReplyDeleteMiles, hitless in 6 of his last 10 games in AA, was promoted to the squad over Greene who is on a tear (10+ game hitting streak, 1.032 OPS) with plus defense in AAA.
Then, Jon Jay, .302 in 26 games, gets sent down for Winn, .219 in 29 games. Winn's lack of offense blamed on lack of playing time. Meanwhile they demote a guy who was productive in the time they have available?
There must be some sort of deal for a pitcher coming (Lohse is going to be out until at least September); meanwhile, they're gambling they can replace the kids with some last-chance refugees? Meh, it boggles the mind.