Game Thread: 5/25 Champs @ Beer

[Stokes1931]

Khris Davis still hasn't touched home plate.....

 

[tzill]

I have to admit, his performance this season so far has been a huge surprise to me. He has done very well, today's start notwithstanding. I am enjoying BT's starts.

At this point, I am worried about Hudson. I suppose a bad start at Coors is not a terrible thing, and he has never done well there. But his numbers are all trending away from good.

Agreed; Huddy is worrisome. However, we don't have three years of suck from him staining my brain. I'm expecting Machi to be DFA'd when Peavy comes back; Tron to the bullpen. When Cain returns in about a month, it'll be an interesting decision. I'd expect Bum, Hesto, and Peavy to all be doing well. The two Tims may very well be in a "race for the bottom" to see who goes to the bullpen. Problem is, barring injury, who comes off the 25 man roster?

 

[RamsFan88]

Can you really take Vogey out of the rotation with the way he's been pitching, though? Can't imagine Bochy taking him out right now. I can see Hudson being placed on the DL with some sort of "injury", or even Heston being sent down when Peavy gets back.

 

[msgkings322]

just calling it the way I see it. You can disagree. Perhaps BT is an effective starter and I'm wrong.

But that ain't the way to bet.

It just seems like you would prefer Timmy to start sucking again, to prove you right.

 

[calsnowskier]

Our regular starting 8 are all hitting .294 or better on the season.

That is disgusting.

 

[1phlapdown]

Our regular starting 8 are all hitting .294 or better on the season.

That is disgusting.

3rd in MLB in ave., behind kc and det and ahead of stl and co. Who woud've thunk??

 

[tzill]

It just seems like you would prefer Timmy to start sucking again, to prove you right.

Things aren't always what they seem.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Agreed; Huddy is worrisome. However, we don't have three years of suck from him staining my brain. I'm expecting Machi to be DFA'd when Peavy comes back; Tron to the bullpen. When Cain returns in about a month, it'll be an interesting decision. I'd expect Bum, Hesto, and Peavy to all be doing well. The two Tims may very well be in a "race for the bottom" to see who goes to the bullpen. Problem is, barring injury, who comes off the 25 man roster?

Why the hell would they DFA Machi?

 

[MarcoPolo]

To be more specific (about Machi) :

1- they don't need a spot on the 40-man (there are no Giants on the 60-day DL)
2- Machi has 2 option years left (the Giants are the only ones to have ever optioned Machi)
3- he can't refuse assignment to the minors
4- while he is sucking this year, the previous two years he was stellar
5- he's super cheap
6- he barely has 2 years of service time

 

[calsnowskier]

To be more specific (about Machi) :

1- they don't need a spot on the 40-man (there are no Giants on the 60-day DL)
2- Machi has 2 option years left (the Giants are the only ones to have ever optioned Machi)
3- he can't refuse assignment to the minors
4- while he is sucking this year, the previous two years he was stellar
5- he's super cheap
6- he barely has 2 years of service time

Do you have a source for the options info you have, or do you do the actual leg-work yourself?

It would be GREAT if Machi still has options. The entire world becomes an easier place to live in if he does.

 

[tzill]

To be more specific (about Machi) :

1- they don't need a spot on the 40-man (there are no Giants on the 60-day DL)
2- Machi has 2 option years left (the Giants are the only ones to have ever optioned Machi)
3- he can't refuse assignment to the minors
4- while he is sucking this year, the previous two years he was stellar
5- he's super cheap
6- he barely has 2 years of service time

that's odd...I'd read that he's out of options. I sit corrected. Thanks!

 

[tzill]

According to MLBTR, Machi is out of options:

Out Of Options Players: NL West - MLB Trade Rumors

 

[MarcoPolo]

Do you have a source for the options info you have, or do you do the actual leg-work yourself?

It would be GREAT if Machi still has options. The entire world becomes an easier place to live in if he does.

Yes, and Yes. It's easier for me when a guy has only been in the minors with the Giants. I keep a file on my computer where I gather transaction info for the Giants (I update it about once every 2-3 months). I get the info from ESPN.com and sfgiants.com (because sometimes one has a transaction the other doesn't). Then I just search in the file for info, and it takes a minute or so to see how many options the Giants have used (say, do a search in "Machi").

This time, since he was with other teams, I hit up www.baseball-reference (Jean Machi Statistics and History | Baseball-Reference.com ). I saw that he's only played in the majors for the Giants. I then looked at Jean Machi Minor League Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com and went to the "teams played for" section and then hit ESPN for the transaction info for the years he was in other teams' minor league systems. It took about 8-10 minutes.

 

[MarcoPolo]

According to MLBTR, Machi is out of options:

Out Of Options Players: NL West - MLB Trade Rumors

I don't see how they came to that conclusion - according to ESPN, Machi was never added to the 40-man roster of *any team* before the Giants, so *by definition* he never used any option years.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Aha! It turns out that ESPN didn't have the correct transaction info for Machi (but mlb.com did). Toronto signed Machi to a contract in Oct '06, and optioned him in March of 07 and 08. (Exasperating Shithead Poop Network)

So Machi *IS* out of options (if mlb.com is correct). Cot's says Machi signed a minor league contract with Toronto, and mlb.com doesn't ever say that Machi was added to the 40-man, but it does list two options used.

If he has no options, then the Giants should place him on revokable waivers (which you can do until August) to gauge what teams might be interested. Then if a claim is made, pull him back and try to make a trade. Since the team getting Machi would have to keep him on the 25-man (or, in turn, place him on waivers) he might slip thru with a current WHIP of 1.50, and he can be stashed in the minors to work thru whatever problems he is having.

If he is claimed and no deal can be made, the Gs would have to decide between letting Machi work out his problems in the majors and sending Strickland back down, or just letting Machi go. It would (well, could) be a real shame losing Machi, as he is cheap, has has been spectacular in the past, and is under team control for 3 more years (that's 3 more years AFTER the 2015 season).

Sending Strickland down might be the better choice (long term). Of course, it would depend on how Hunter pitches over the next 2-3 weeks while Peavy is on rehab assignment in the minors.

 

[tzill]

Aha! It turns out that ESPN didn't have the correct transaction info for Machi (but mlb.com did). Toronto signed Machi to a contract in Oct '06, and optioned him in March of 07 and 08. (Exasperating Shithead Poop Network)

So Machi *IS* out of options (if mlb.com is correct). Cot's says Machi signed a minor league contract with Toronto, and mlb.com doesn't ever say that Machi was added to the 40-man, but it does list two options used.

If he has no options, then the Giants should place him on revokable waivers (which you can do until August) to gauge what teams might be interested. Then if a claim is made, pull him back and try to make a trade. Since the team getting Machi would have to keep him on the 25-man (or, in turn, place him on waivers) he might slip thru with a current WHIP of 1.50, and he can be stashed in the minors to work thru whatever problems he is having.

If he is claimed and no deal can be made, the Gs would have to decide between letting Machi work out his problems in the majors and sending Strickland back down, or just letting Machi go. It would (well, could) be a real shame losing Machi, as he is cheap, has has been spectacular in the past, and is under team control for 3 more years (that's 3 more years AFTER the 2015 season).

Sending Strickland down might be the better choice (long term). Of course, it would depend on how Hunter pitches over the next 2-3 weeks while Peavy is on rehab assignment in the minors.

Well, we can't know how much they value Machi vs. Strick now, but I'd be pretty surprised if they send Strick down (absent some 2014 playoff-esque bed shitting). There are a ton of arms in Sacto that all seem to be ML ready (Broadway, Hall, Okert, e.g.) so Machi may have pitched himself out of the org. Given his relatively cheap cost (as you correctly point out) I'd be shocked if he clears waivers. As you also correctly analyze, the waivers would be revocable as the Giants can probably get something for him. OTOH, he has been pretty effective outside of May this year, so perhaps he'll stay.

 

[jeep99tj]

I'm sure whoever gets sent down it will be with the clubs best interests in mind.

 

[calsnowskier]

I'm sure whoever gets sent down it will be with the clubs best interests in mind.

Well, of course. EVERY move is done with the clubs best interests in mind.

I think it is safe to assume that just about every party acts with it's own best interests in mind.

 

[tzill]

I'm sure whoever gets sent down it will be with the clubs best interests in mind.

Really? You think so? You don't think Bobby Evans wants to screw up the franchise?

Man, I don't know WHAT to believe now....

 

[jeep99tj]

Sorry guys. Don't know what got into me to make such a remark.