502 to Right

I'm not opposed to using position players as pitchers to save the bullpen, but I think it's appropriate only when you won't hurt the team if the position player blows his arm out. I would not use our backup (and sometimes starting) catcher. I would, however, be fine using Rickie Weeks.

A playoff contending team cannot keep a guy on the 25 man roster who can't get big league hitters out. Period. To do so is idiotic and handcuffs the manager with what is effectively a 24 man roster. You can talk about other factors that have the Brewers playing shorthanded, but Wang is at or near the top of list.

I would guess if he got through this season he'd be somewhere in A ball next year learning his craft. Well then after your many "guesses," thus far on this thread, I'm going to say he's going to be anywhere BUT A ball next year. Seriously, I would assume he'd either get the start at Huntsville or he'd move very quickly there. Every coach and all of his performances in ST'ing suggested he was a pitcher who was ahead of the curve. He was only pitching in rookie ball because he was coming back from TJ. But there is so much more that can happen in the meantime. Hell, he might end up being a nice piece in the pen by the end of the year. The good thing is that by the end of the season we will have an answer as to how useful or detrimental he was to the team. So for now, I'm going to let Wang's arm do the talking.

I would guess if he got through this season he'd be somewhere in A ball next year learning his craft.

How many of those players had just one year of minor league experience before they played a full season in the majors? The answer is none. Wang simply is not ready to play MLB baseball right now. If the Brewers are going to have him on the roster they at least need to play him. And see what happens. My guess is that he gets shelled mercilessly. Edit - I don't have time to research it but I'd bet most of those guys above spent considerable time on their respective team's DL during the Rule 5 year. If Wang could hit the DL for most of the year I'd be fine with it. I don't mind him taking a spot on the 40 man roster, I just don't want him on the 25 man roster.

I think the Brewers should have him throw a 250 pitch simulated game. That should be good for shoulder tendinitis and a trip to the 60 day DL.

Who cares? He doesn't NEED to be a good pitcher for the Brewers this season. Do you even realize how absurd the argument you're making is? You're essentially saying that if the Twins would have been good in 2000 they should have dumped him because they were going to be competitive. Never mind the fact that he was the best pitcher in baseball for about 5-6 years and was absolutely dominant. Why does this have to be an either or? Why can't we try and be competitive this year AND try and keep a promising young arm for the future? Yes, he does need to be a good pitcher. Playoff contending teams don't intentionally assemble a roster with a terrible/untrustworthy pitcher. You need every quality arm you can get. And yes, I am saying that if the Twins had been competitive in 2000 they would not have have kept Santana and his 6.49 ERA around. It is absurd to use part of a playoff contending roster as a developmental squad.

Dan Uggla played for a Marlins team in 2006 that won 78 games. Johan Santana pitched for a Twins team in 2000 that won 69 games. Carrying a Rule 5 guy for a season is OK for a non-contending team that is building for the future. It is not OK for a playoff contending team to carry a Rule 5 guy on the MLB roster all season (especially someone who pitched in Rookie ball last season). I don't blame the Brewers for taking a flier on a guy like Wang but as a playoff contending team they need the roster spot for someone who can pitch at the MLB level. So if the Twins were projected to win 90 games that year, they'd have been wrong to select Johan Santana? Because the difference between the production they would have gotten out of Santana and the 25th best guy on their roster was such a huge one it would have been worth giving up about 1200 innings pitched at a 2.92 ERA over a 6 year period and a 9.8 K/9 rate? It's not a "cute idea," that's time is over, it's a smart, logical way to get a young, talented left handed pitcher on a team that desperately needs to develop it's own talent. And those were the 1st two rule 5 guys who came to my mind. How many wins do you really believe keeping Wang on our roster is going to cost us? We're 16-6 right now. Would we be 18-4. Johan Santana put up a 6.49 ERA in his Rule 5 season. He was a disaster. The Twins could afford the disaster because they weren't going to make the playoffs anyway. I'm not saying Wang won't be a good pitcher someday. He might. But it's not going to be a good pitcher for the Brewers at the MLB level this season.

Young pitchers don't learn their craft throwing side sessions. They learn their craft throwing side sessions and throwing in actual games. Having Wang on the roster is a waste. To him and the Brewers. Wang was a nice project when it looked like the Brewers might suck. Well they don't so this little experiment needs to end.

Not only is it a dumb idea to try to stash a player on the roster of a playoff competing team who is going from Rookie ball to the majors in one season, it is harmful to Wang's development to not be pitching.

Ok, tell me about all the other levels of minor league baseball he played before he ended up rehabbing in Rookie ball.

I have enjoyed Lepay's call so far. I'm in the minority, but I'm not a fan of him doing football. I don't care for the over-enthusiasm. I was afraid he would be too over the top for the baseball but he has been solid. In full disclosure I like my announcers vanilla. Do no harm is all I ask. I know the game very well so I don't need to be fed like a baby and the game itself is interesting enough for me to not need the play by play guy to be saying dumb catch phrases to keep my interest.

I'd like to see a list of MLB players who went from Rookie ball directly to a full season of the majors. I'd say a AAA pitcher is demonstrably more capable of getting major league hitters out than Wang.

Dan Uggla played for a Marlins team in 2006 that won 78 games. Johan Santana pitched for a Twins team in 2000 that won 69 games. Carrying a Rule 5 guy for a season is OK for a non-contending team that is building for the future. It is not OK for a playoff contending team to carry a Rule 5 guy on the MLB roster all season (especially someone who pitched in Rookie ball last season). I don't blame the Brewers for taking a flier on a guy like Wang but as a playoff contending team they need the roster spot for someone who can pitch at the MLB level.

Is this your opinion or have their been statements from the coaching staff that they want to hack away?

I wish they wouldn't have put Tom Barrett in the video.

You guys have pretty low standards. It didn't make me want to puke but I can't say it was that good.

The problem started last year. He sucked after the injury occurred and then he was suspended. So I wouldn't say he has put up excellent seasonal stats with this injury.

Based on the article I posted above, I am encouraged. He has seemed to find a solution to manage the pain at the plate reasonably well, between a new way of padding and adjusting his swing. If that continues to work, the only real problem will be the blisters and bruises he gets from playing the field. He'll likely have to continue taking regular days off, but that isn't as bad as it could be. Today was encouraging but I'm not going to be convinced for at least a month, or more. The fact that he has a problem that needs to be managed after 5 months off is deeply troubling.

I'm not ready to declare victory. Something that bothers him after 5 months off is a problem.

I would immediately move him to 1B if he's having problems throwing. It's being occupied by players who likely can't outhit Braun's replacement in RF anyway. It would be nice to still have Aoki though.

Shouldn't we know where Francisco is going by now? He was released March 24th.

You sell a winning team to the fans by putting a winning team on the field. For the Brewers that means being smart with their limited resources.

What was the urgency? He was already under contract for 2 more years. Ilitch might be dead in 2 years and then the Tigers get to pay Miggy for eight more years of getting fat.

And here I thought this was a baseball website. As to baseball discussion - now that it appears that Francisco has been waived, I guess Detroit has a chance to get him for nothing.