Transaction Analysis: Bobby, Last Name Wilson

DETROIT TIGERS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled LHP Ian Krol from Triple-A Toledo; optioned RHP Shane Greene to Triple-A Toledo. [6/2]

Bless this boy—he needs it.

The Tigers acquired Greene during the offseason as a means to shore up the back of their rotation. It seemed like a decent plan. Greene had popped up last season, showing a promising sinker-slider-cutter mix with the Yankees that resulted in a strikeout rate above nine. Alas, he hasn’t matched those statistics during 2015, sitting instead on the pitch-to-contact side of the strikeout scale. That was okay when he was pitching deep into games, but he’s averaged three innings per each of his last three starts.

As a result, Greene has lost his rotation spot to Kyle Ryan, owner of a 4.67 ERA and 1.82 strikeout-to-walk rate … in Triple-A. The emphasis for Greene in Toledo is regaining his old arm angle—he’s reportedly tilting his shoulders too much—which he hopes will enhance the movement on his slider, thereby improving his bat-missing and out-getting abilities. Should all go to plan—and it hasn’t so far—Greene could be back up in the coming weeks, perhaps living up to his preseason expectations. Otherwise, the Tigers will have to seek out another back-end starter.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Signed “OF”-R Dayan Viciedo to a minor-league deal. [6/12]

Philosophical differences aside—Viciedo ain’t here to sell copies of Moneyball (or make threadbare references)—this is a wonderful fit between player and team. Bob Melvin knows how to manage a platoon and prevent flawed players from becoming overexposed; Viciedo requires stricter supervision than your average tank because he can’t hit righties, defend a position, or run the basepaths. Viciedo can swat extra-base hits against lefties, and he’ll provide value if that’s the basis of his role. There won’t be a spot on the big-league roster for Viciedo until Ben Zobrist is traded, at which point the A’s could pair him in a left-field platoon with his inverse: Sam Fuld.

TAMPA BAY RAYS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled LHP C.J. Riefenhauser from Triple-A Durham; designated C-R Bobby Wilson for assignment. [6/11]
Recalled C-R Curt Casali from Triple-A Durham; optioned OF-R Mikie Mahtook to Triple-A Durham. [6/13]

A noteworthy pair of moves due to the circumstances involved rather than the actors. The Rays designated Wilson for assignment on Thursday night and didn’t recall Casali until after their game on Friday, leaving them without a true backup catcher for an entire day. Apparently Jake Elmore, who started at first base, was Plan B in case something happened to Rene Rivera. Nothing did happen to Rivera, however, so Elmore didn’t get to make his second big-league appearance behind the dish.

Whereas most teams fear using their emergency catcher, the Rays embraced the possibility. You might ask why—why not demote Mahtook a night early, or why bring up a reliever in Wilson’s place? Seems the Rays wanted Mahtook in the lineup against southpaw John Danks, and wanted another fresh arm in case starter Matt Andriese had a bad night. Are those satisfactory answers for tempting fate? Probably not; fate didn’t take the bait though, so nobody will remember the Rays’ unnecessary gamble.

MIAMI MARLINS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled 2B-L Derek Dietrich from Triple-A New Orleans; optioned LHP Adam Conley to Triple-A New Orleans. [6/12]

A happy development for Dietrich, whose past year had to leave him feeling unwanted by the Marlins.

Despite having at the time the third-best True Average among second basemen, Dietrich was demoted last June due to his well-below-average defense. He went down, hit, came back, and went 4-for-28 before injuring his wrist. When Dietrich healed, he returned to the minors and posted an .879 OPS over 13 games. Then his season ended; no September call-up, nothing. If that snub didn’t sting Dietrich’s ego, Miami’s acquisition of another left-handed second baseman probably did. You couldn’t have blamed Dietrich if he hoped for a trade during the ensuing weeks.

But no such trade occurred and Dietrich again opened the season in the minors, where he continued to show a big-league-ready bat. Fortunately, the Marlins worked with him on his defensive shortcomings by moving him around the diamond. Dietrich saw action at second base, of course, but also gained experience at the infield corners, and even swatted a few mosquitoes in left field. The typical super-sub (suber?) tends to have the opposite profile—bad bat, good glove—so it’ll be interesting to see if and how Dan Jennings employs Dietrich, provided he’s considered more than a pinch hitter.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract of RHP Michael Broadway from Triple-A Sacramento; placed OF-R Hunter Pence on the 15-day disabled list (wrist tendinitis). [6/12]

Your human-interest transaction of the week. Broadway reaches the majors a decade after being drafted by the Braves. Making the debut even less likely is how he missed most of 2014 with shoulder trouble. Nonetheless, Broadway returned strong, striking out 39 batters in 26 Triple-A innings, and doing so without allowing a home run or walking the ballpark. Expect to see mid-to-upper-90s heat and a quality slider, as well as a Kimbrel-like dangling arm before the pitch and some recoil afterward. Cool story of perseverance aside, Broadway could well become an effective reliever for the Giants.