Diamondbacks Make Roster Moves: Micah Owings, John Hester To AAA

by Jim McLennan on Mar 21, 2011 6:57 PM EDT in Diamondbacks News

Just too late for Snakebytes, naturally. The team announced that they have optioned Konrad Schmidt to Triple-A Reno, reassigned Micah Owings, Brian Sweeney and Wily Mo Pena to minor league camp, and outrighted John Hester to Reno. In order for the last move, it appears the club requested outright waivers on Hester, which is the process when a team wants to take a player off the 40-man roster, but keep him in their system. These were secured, and Hester made it through them unclaimed.

Now, why would they have done this?

The main reason is, it frees up a 40-man roster spot for someone. Nick Piecoro reckons the most likely beneficiary is Russell Branyan, which would make sense, as it's coming close to D-Day for him. Arizona has up until the 25th to decide whether or not he's going to be on the Opening Day roster, as he does have an opt-out clause. Part of the answer for Branyan might depend on his playing-time: I'm sure his agent has been asking around to see if there the chance of a starting job elsewhere, rather than a bench-spot here, though no possibilities immediately come to mind.

The moves mean the team now have 35 players left to take part in Major League camp - 31 of those are on the 40-man roster. along with four non-roster players: Branyan and Mike Hampton are two who remain, but I'm not sure who the other two might be. It's hard to tell, as some players are still appearing in the Cactus League, who were officially re-assigned last week, e.g. Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Owings. From what I can see, it's reliever Rafael Rodriguez and either everyone's favorite mystery man, P.J. Pilittere, or Cody Ransom, though I don't give either of those any realistic shot of making the team.

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I guess hester doesn't have much trade value

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 21, 2011 7:01 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Didn't you say

his agent told you he wanted Hester traded? (Not that I can blame him)

Mr. Science Boy

by DbacksSkins on Mar 23, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions

When nobody wants him for free

I’d say that’s a fair assessment…

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by Dan Strittmatter on Mar 23, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Forgive the ignorance here...

What is the difference between being “optioned to Reno” and being “reassigned to minor league camp”? Does that mean Owings, Sweeny and Pena are off the 40 man roster for the season?

by Fiona on Mar 21, 2011 7:08 PM EDT reply actions

I think, basically

Options are for those who are on the 40-man roster, re-assigned is for those who weren’t, i.e. are non-roster invitees.

"While Mrs. SnakePit watched one of the most highly acclaimed films of the year, I sat through a badly made schlock fest with absolutely no redeeming value. And it was awesome."

by Jim McLennan on Mar 21, 2011 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions

You nailed it.

http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/

by Dan Strittmatter on Mar 21, 2011 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm curious myself...

according to the diamondbacks website, owings, sweeny and pena are not on the 40 man roster, but on the non roster invitee list. But I was under the impression that being optioned meant that the player was still on the 40 man roster and being reassigned was that the player was taken off the 40 man roster, but unclaimed by another team. Im pretty sure that they are not off for the season thought. 40 man rosters change all the time.

by longshorts on Mar 21, 2011 7:12 PM EDT reply actions

Not sure what happens with non-roster invitees

Can they be claimed by another team? Instinct says probably not. They could refuse the assignment to minor-league camp I guess, but they’d then have to find another job.

"While Mrs. SnakePit watched one of the most highly acclaimed films of the year, I sat through a badly made schlock fest with absolutely no redeeming value. And it was awesome."

by Jim McLennan on Mar 21, 2011 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Non-roster invitees

All other professional players affiliated with Major League Baseball are signed to minor-league contracts. They can receive an invitation to spring training with their organization’s Major League team without being on the 40-man roster. Two types of players generally receive a non-roster invitation: prospect players who are there to gain experience and face tougher competition as well as receive instruction from the Major League team’s coaching staff; and veteran players who were not offered any major league contract by a club. The veteran player is usually signed to a “two-way” salary option—one for their time in the minors and another if they are placed on the 40-man during the season. All spring training invitees are under some sort of contract, to avoid liability if an injury were to occur to the player.

— Wikipedia

"While Mrs. SnakePit watched one of the most highly acclaimed films of the year, I sat through a badly made schlock fest with absolutely no redeeming value. And it was awesome."

by Jim McLennan on Mar 21, 2011 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Breakdown:

- Optioning is for players that are on the 40-man roster who are being sent to the minor leagues.

- Reassignment to minor league camp is for players who were never on the 40-man roster, and are being sent back to the minor leagues before the end of camp (if they aren’t sent back, of course, they need to be added to the 40-man roster).

- Outrighting is for players that are on the 40-man roster that the team is removing from the 40-man roster. This requires the team to expose the player to waivers (and thus all 29 other teams), where any team can claim him – just so long as they subsequently put the player on their 40-man roster. If the player goes through waivers unclaimed, they are returned to the original team, no longer on the 40-man roster, but still within the team’s minor league system (provided, I believe, they aren’t eligible for minor league free agency… in which case they may have the right to request outright release and sign an MiLB contract with any team, though I’m not sure on this part).

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by Dan Strittmatter on Mar 21, 2011 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Also:

Reassignment does not expose players to other teams. The player cannot really choose to refuse the assignment, since he signed a minor league contract… the only way he could escape the minors is retirement, as Ian Snell recently demonstrated, but he then can’t simply latch on with another team.

http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/

by Dan Strittmatter on Mar 21, 2011 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions