MLB Assignments And Cuts

Last week, we found out that Dynasty‘s Pete Parise will be starting the year with the AA Springfield Cardinals.  Additionally, Kyle Gunderson and Dan Leatherman (after a brief stint in extended Spring Training) will be with the High A Potomac Nationals.  But not all players were happy throughout different stages of last week, when MLB organizations posted their assignments.  In fact, some got the bad news that they were let go by their club (fortunately no Dynasty clients were released).

Garrett Broshuis has a good read on BaseballAmerica.com, which talks about the anxiety that players feel as they approach the roster/assignment sheet.

The paper lives on a wall at the entrance to the clubhouse. It is a dynamic document, changing every couple of days, and it mystically captivates us. Each step within the clubhouse draws heavier as one approaches it. Hearts race and breaths grow short, such is its strength. One never knows what fortunes it will bring, but for most, it is almost always a silent bearer of bad news.

And we can all think of many examples like Garrett’s friend Justin.

Over years of playing together, special bonds are forged between teammates. Justin Hedrick, of my draft class, has played with me throughout the minor leagues. He has always put up outstanding numbers despite not being a hard thrower. In fact, he produced a 1.37 ERA last season in Double A last season, proving to be almost unhittable. Despite this, he was recently released.

Justin arrived to the park one day and went to his locker. Assuming the worst, everyone grew silent as a coach entered the room. Justin was ushered away, taken to the office like a kid in grade school who had played in the mud. He couldn’t believe what they were telling him.

“They told me that they didn’t have a spot for me in Triple-A and that I deserved a shot with someone else. They said they were releasing me early so I would have a better chance of getting picked up by someone else.”

That’s what we call the politics of baseball.  Even if your clients are killing it, their jobs are never safe.