Sending the best 12 or 13 pitchers north with the big club went to bat against service time and sunk costs and struck out once again. Also, Erick Fedde was optioned to Syracuse yesterday.
Pay no attention to Tanner Roark getting lit like a Kennedy at an open bar last night, his third straight outing where he’s failed to give up less than three runs or pitch more than four innings.
Never mind that Shawn Kelly, who gave up 12HR in 26⅓ regular-season innings against major-leaguers, has coughed up five big flies in his last three appearances (3IP) against the not-quite-1927-Yankees lineups of the Mets, Marlins, and Cardinals.
No, I’m not naïve; I’m quite well aware that there’s no connection between the performance of Roark, Kelley, and Fedde. But it’s tiresome to listen to the lies spouted every spring about minor-leaguers having a chance to win a job. It just doesn’t happen anymore.
Even if a major-leaguer is injured (*cough* Ryan Zimmerman *cough*) they’ll get a aging replacement veteran instead, as the signings of Jeremy Hellickson and Joaquin Benoit this year and Jeremy Guthrie last year. Just don’t complain if (when) any of the veterans continue to not perform when the games count.