T.J. Rivera Released
Mets reported this in a Tweet. How sweet.
Never thought it would happen. But this is a business, and if he is not in baseball health and the Mets have 800 infielders or so, it makes sense in order to free up 40 man roster space.
.304 lifetime. .323 career minor league average.
Tough business. Best of luck.
16 comments:
I wouldn't judge this against how well he has hit in the past.
My guess is that the new Mets brain team doesn't believe he can return from his injuries and produce these kind of numbers as a starter in 2019.
As you said, there are a ton of guys on the Syracuse board.
Could be a blessing for T.J.
Hope: Met MiL batting coach & eventual manager somewhere.
Fear: Returns to play at career average...in his home Borough.
.304 hitters don't grow on trees. He'll end up somewhere.
.323
8 minor league seasons
that is a hitter
but so is Colon and Kaczmarski, right Tom?
Is Rivera casted aside due to the 'lack of pop"?
It’s a shame. You gotta feel for the guy. He had so much promise in his too brief ML experience..
He really needs to go to an A.L. team where he can DH. Hopefully, that’s what happens and he has a solid career there.
I don't understand the reaction here.
TJ had Tommy John surgery. He has not recovered well. He's had a setback in Spring Training.
He can't throw and play a defensive position right now.
He's not a functional ML ballplayer.
AND he's on the 40-man roster.
This is a clerical move. It is extremely likely that he'll be reassigned at some later point, continue to rehab with the Mets organization.
No other team in baseball will touch him.
It's sad he's hurt. The Mets have done nothing wrong here.
Jimmy P
But we are stuck with Todd Frazier. Go figure.
Wait a minute...
Isn't Frazier the kind of power hitter you like?
He also had an unbreakable contract this year.
You do need to create roster spots for Luis Avilan and others here on minor league deals (and one slugging 1st baseman who isn't on the 40-man roster yet).
Yoenis Cespedes is a no-brainer to put on the 60-day DL to create one spot, but Franklyn Kilome is a question. To put him on the 60-day DL means you lose a year of control and must pay him major league money. That doesn't sound like a cheap Wilpons way of doing business.
Mack, the key in power hitter is the word "hitter", which he does not do.
Fine
One Power hitter who hits just fine is Pete, who had 2 hits again and cracked a titanic shot today. Check out the video on Mets.com
If the Mets DFA'd TJ, and no one claimed him (likely), the Mets could've taken him off the 40 and outrighted him to Bingo or 'Cuse.
So the money and roster spot were not the issue. Either his physical condition or another factor was.
Good point, Metsiac.
Possibly there's something deeper going on? Perhaps TJ asked for the full release? He's enough of a hitter than, even injured, you'd like to find a way to keep him around. Been in the organization a long time.
Jimmy P
Just an update, after reading more about it today: I was partly wrong. Yes, true, TJ wasn't healthy enough to show anything this Spring. Couldn't compete. But from Brodie's remarks, and TJ's surprise, I gather the Mets preferred to give playing time to other guys in AAA, rather than continue to invest time in TJ.
A tough call.
I hope they got it right.
Jimmy P
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