Salazar claimed off waivers by D-backs

by Rox Girl on Mar 28, 2007 3:09 PM MDT in Rockpile

Effin' frickin Snakes stole away Jeff Salazar. Those bastards. Who's bright idea was it to try to sneak him through waivers? Really fricking bright. I'm tired of losing all this fringe talent when it seems other organizations are able to flip it for something useful or potentially useful at least half the time.

Update [2007-3-28 19:12:16 by Rox Girl]:

Okay, Rox Girl's cooler head has somewhat prevailed. I still don't like this, losing Salazar or any of our former prospects to the Diamondbacks is not the way you want to see them go. Jeff's upside is limited though, and in Arizona's system he's not going to have much of a chance behind Chris Young and Justin Upton in center. That kind of makes it hurt more, actually because you want to see him get a shot, but at least we know he won't come back to do much damage to us on the field.

The move is also troubling in that it seems to mean that Ryan Spilborghs is destined for AAA again in favor of John Mabry, and Spilly's bat could be something we miss. At least he's only an hour or so away, though.

Tweet Comment 29 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Lack of foresight

The club's decision to keep Kim, Fogg and Sullivan is looking pretty bad right now. All three are overpaid and pretty much unmovable.

R you in?

by malakian on Mar 28, 2007 3:20 PM MDT reply actions

Crud

I hadn't realized that he was out of options. :(

by MADness on Mar 28, 2007 3:35 PM MDT reply actions

It's possible

that he was not out of options, but that the Rockies had to create space on the 40-man roster for somebody. Finley is obvious, but maybe they needed a spot to keep someone else.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 3:38 PM MDT up reply actions

Further obvious

since the Diamondbacks optioned him to AAA.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 3:39 PM MDT up reply actions

This has nothing to do with 40-man roster space.

Alexis Gomez is out of options and will not make the team. He'll be designated for assignment within the next few days.

Mabry or Finley will take his 40-man roster spot.

This move was made because of the lack of available playing time as a result of a crowded Triple-A outfield (Sullivan, Spilborghs, Smith, Barker).

R you in?

by malakian on Mar 28, 2007 3:43 PM MDT up reply actions

Wasn't sure about it

but thanks. I knew that Salazar still had options (considering the Rockies had already optioned him to AAA) but wasn't sure what they were doing with this move. Probably the same thing that happened with Jason Young in 2005(?); the Rockies just figured they didn't need him and released him.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 3:51 PM MDT up reply actions

More info

Troy Renck explains the "logic" behind this move:

Driving back from Phoenix to Tucson Monday night, a former Colorado player called and brought up an interesting topic: What the heck are the Rockies going to do about their logjam in their Triple-A outfield?

The easy answer is shed some bodies. That process is expected to begin today with Jeff Salazar. According to major league sources, the Rockies have attempted to trade Salazar. If unsuccessful with that route, he could be released. That makes sense since it frees up playing time for Cory Sullivan to play everyday for the Sky Sox.

The Rockies have plenty of outfielders in Colorado Springs with the likes of Seth Smith and Sullivan, who was last year's big league opening day starter.

Salazar was briefly in the mix to compete for playing time this season before the club acquired Willy Taveras and signed free agent Steve Finley.

R you in?

by malakian on Mar 28, 2007 3:58 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah, that makes sense....

Keep the older guy who's making $900,000, reached his peak, is rapidly losing value in the sight of other teams, and dump the cheap prospect with a higher upside. This decision makes a lot of sense...

by Rox Girl on Mar 28, 2007 4:02 PM MDT up reply actions

Right

Key word is "making $900,000." Remember, if the Rockies had had to release Sullivan (assuming nobody bit on a trade), that would mean eating his salary. In the minds of the Monforts, better to get rid of a cheaper player than one that's making above the MLB minimum.

Not that I agree with the logic, but hey, it's their money, and we ARE talking about a couple of spare parts here. Salazar's also 26, so he probably doesn't have THAT much upside left to build on.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions

Roster space

We already had a spot open on the 40 man roster that was vacated when Lopez was released. Outrighting Sullivan opens an another roster spot. To me, that indicates that Finley and Mabry are making the team and Spillborghs is headed to AAA. It's the only reason I can think of that they would clear a second roster spot when they could have optioned down that player.

by lgh77 on Mar 28, 2007 4:20 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah

That's the only logical reason. Of course, where Dan O'Dowd is concerned, "logic" is a foreign concept.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 4:23 PM MDT up reply actions

I meant Salazar

I don't know why I wrote Sullivan.

by lgh77 on Mar 28, 2007 6:43 PM MDT up reply actions

These moves

are what makes me question D'OD sometimes. We are looking to keep old stiffs such as Mabry and Finley (who is now hitting .267 and falling fast) while we let go of players like Salazar who have some upside.

Granted Salazar isnt wonderful, but I bet he would have had a better season then Finley and Mabry if given the shot.

by wolf213 on Mar 28, 2007 3:52 PM MDT reply actions

It's very questionable

but I also thought the same thing when the Rockies let Young walk a couple of years ago. Finley and Mabry aren't really the issue. Cory Sullivan had a good spring in 2005 and passed him on the depth chart, and that wound up making him expendable. As it stands, like malakian said we've got Sullivan, Smith, Barker, and a few others all competing for time in the OF at Colorado Springs.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 4:02 PM MDT up reply actions

Thats a good point

But then could Finely or Mabry be taking a spot from Sullivan or Spilly? If Sullivan had Finely's spot and Spilly had Mabry's spot, then you free up some room to have Salazar in AAA, and the the question is, can Sullivan and Spilly have better years then Finely and Mabry? I think the answer is yes.

by wolf213 on Mar 28, 2007 4:07 PM MDT up reply actions

We'll find out in a few weeks

when Finley is hitting .230 and Mabry is hitting .195 and the Rockies suddenly think to themselves, what the hell were we thinking?

Spilly might still make the team, you never know. I have no idea why Mabry would be better.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 4:11 PM MDT up reply actions

I have no idea why Mabry would be better.

"Veteran presence". The most overrated concept in baseball.

I bet Spilborghs wishes he was 10 years older.

R you in?

by malakian on Mar 28, 2007 4:16 PM MDT up reply actions

Or left-handed.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 28, 2007 4:23 PM MDT up reply actions

I think left is more the magic word,

that is the biggest issue over veteran presence.

Hey tn fan give mabry credit I think he will be above the mendoza line at about .204 he-he

by maybe this year on Mar 29, 2007 12:58 AM MDT up reply actions

Kim

Based on Renck's latest article, it looks like we're stuck with Kim. Apparently, nobody wants to take him without us eating most of his salary and give us next to nothing in return.

by lgh77 on Mar 28, 2007 4:36 PM MDT reply actions

This doesn't surprise me at all

Spring training time trades of fifth starters don't happen after the 20th. High salary players who are viewed as overpaid only get moved if you eat salary in return. Kim could still be moved during the season, as long as he pitches halfway decently, somebody will look into getting him.

by Rox Girl on Mar 28, 2007 5:06 PM MDT up reply actions

Sloppy thinking and logic....

This team, if on the rise, needs to trade extra parts for missing pieces, such as good bullpen arms. We need to jettison the likes of Tom Martin, and shore up our weaknesses for the long season.

I have a hard time believing that Sullivan can't be traded, or packaged in a trade, for a piece to our puzzle that could help us this year. If that had been done, we could have kept Salazar and started him in AAA. Or at least give him a lot of time down there as a 4th OF.

DOD almost seems gunshy, or impotent, when it comes to doing deals, ANY deals, that can help us a little bit. No trade of Sully, no trade yet of Kim. What's going on here? Is it incompetence, or just indifference?

No matter what it is, it's a raw deal to lose Salazar, and hurts even more when he goes to a division rival. There are reasons why losing teams remain losing teams, and this type of thing is somewhere on the list.

by Roxpert on Mar 28, 2007 5:54 PM MDT reply actions

ANYBODY DOWN HERE IN SPRING TRAINING?

I have a couple of days left and it has been an amazing last couple of days. Saw Barmes and Sullivan walk out to AAA stretching and the sudden laughter and banter became "dead silence" as it was an eerie and awkward show of respect. Saw Salazar leave today, rumor: attitude was deciding factor. Minor league rosters were set with some interesting assignments. Interesting to compare earlier blog predicted rosters with actual.

by 86 wins in 07 on Mar 28, 2007 5:58 PM MDT reply actions

Details?

"Minor league rosters were set with some interesting assignments. Interesting to compare earlier blog predicted rosters with actual."

Care to elaborate? Any updates you could give would be appreciated.

R you in?

by malakian on Mar 28, 2007 6:01 PM MDT up reply actions

This shouldn't be the fault of Finley or Mabry

the big difference with these guys is that we know they can actually hit the ball over the fence. Power has a certain higher quality on a bench.

The heart of the problem rests with the decision to opt for Sullivan over Salazar, before even knowing what Salazar can be at the pro level.

Sullivan is a given, he's had two years of replacement level hitting in a park that should suit him more (since he doesn't take to the "little man's" game). Put Sullivan's numbers in a neutral environment, and they likely dip below replacement. His defense is pretty solid, but metrics-wise, he's not in the same class as Taveras. Outside of this, he has little patience and strikes out too much. After two years of similar results, it's safe to say he's a finished product, which is borderline replacement level for Coors Field.

So what the Rockies are saying with this move is that they are comfortable in keeping a "known" commodity, regardless of the individual merit of the player, over an "unknown."

To be fair, Salazar was every bit the fourth outfielder. Yet, there is a difference. Salazar has had a much better track record with plate discipline, and has flashed more pop than Sullivan. I made the claim earlier that he's roughly the same player as Finley at this stage in Steve's career, and I still believe that. Salazar isn't as good a defender as Sullivan, but he's been praised by scouts for his defense in the past. Given the opportunity as a fourth outfielder, I think Salazar's patience and slightly better pop could earn a half of a win more than Sullivan.

As insignificant as an amount as this may seem, it isn't the point of this descision. The problem lies in the Rockies' decision to yet again play it safe with an inferior talent. Even if Sullivan couldn't be dealt, how much does the team lose if he's claimed on waivers, based on what we know of him? Is it that hard to find a replacement level outfielder. Apparently not, as we've seen with Gomez, Finley, and Spilborghs this spring.

Whether or not Salazar was given the chance to prove his worth is secondary to the point that the Rockies have once again sided for what's safe than an option with a chance for a bigger payoff. We're talking Sullivan... where's the risk?

by David OhNo on Mar 28, 2007 10:30 PM MDT reply actions

Minor League Rosters

Does anyone have the rosters? Known is that from Tri-Cities Brandon Hynick made the jump to Modesto, Josh Sullivan, Andrew Kreidermacher, Ethan Katz, Andrew Graham, Keith Weiser, Aneury Rodriguez, Craig Baker and Michael McHenry are going to Asheville along with Simon Ferrer, James Burok and Zach Simons who will be returning.

by lahardball on Mar 29, 2007 7:12 AM MDT reply actions

OVERHEARD THAT.......

Ferrer will be a starting pitcher, this year, as a Knuckleballer.

by 86 wins in 07 on Mar 29, 2007 8:53 AM MDT up reply actions

OVERHEARD

Overheard the same thing.

by lahardball on Mar 29, 2007 9:06 AM MDT reply actions

That's very cool, I've been wondering

when they would make the switch with him. The interest in Charlie Haeger this Spring and the switch with Ferrer make it seem that the Rockies are serious about going frward with trying a knuckleballer out. If the humidor mitigates the hanging effect on the pitch, then it would seem an obvious fit as there's not nearly the wear and tear on their arms and they'll be able to eat a lot of innings, which will help the strength lapse due to six months of pitching at altitude -made evident in our rotations' second half last year.

by Rox Girl on Mar 29, 2007 10:05 AM MDT up reply actions