Something's not Wright

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I'm not sure why he would need to go through waivers. If anything, he'll be in extended spring training to start the season a-la David Price. No need to put him on waivers or outright him to make that happen.

I think PP's point is that when Wright is able to pitch again, there's a good chance there won't be a place for him on the 25-man roster. Whether that is in the off-season, at the end of spring training or sometime during the season, it's a distinct possibility. They can only stash him on the DL/extended spring training if he's actually unable to pitch.

 

[lexrageorge]

I think PP's point is that when Wright is able to pitch again, there's a good chance there won't be a place for him on the 25-man roster. Whether that is in the off-season, at the end of spring training or sometime during the season, it's a distinct possibility. They can only stash him on the DL/extended spring training if he's actually unable to pitch.

Fair enough. But to correct a couple of points:

There is no need to put him on the 25-man roster during the offseason. At that point, he's either on the 40-man roster, or on the 60-day DL. If he's on the 60-day at the end of the season, the team is allowed to carry him on that until he's ready to pitch in a major league game.

EDIT: Correct. Thanks.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Fair enough. But to correct a couple of points:

There is no need to put him on the 25-man roster during the offseason. At that point, he's either on the 40-man roster, or on the 60-day DL. If he's on the 60-day at the end of the season, the team is allowed to carry him on that until he's ready to pitch in a major league game.

Correction to your correction, but there is no DL in the off-season, just the 40-man roster. All players on the 60-day DL must be added back to the roster or released/DFA at the end of the season.

So there remains a chance that Wright is gone this off-season if there is no room on the 40-man for him to be added back at the end of October. That is how the team intially lost Rutledge last winter. Instead of adding him to the roster from the 60-day DL, they tried to outright him to the minors and he chose free agency (then they took him back in the rule 5 draft). Wright won't have that choice but he would still be subjected to waivers and, as PP has argued, he might not clear them.

 

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Folks are seriously considering outrighting Wright off the roster? That's ridiculous.

The only way Wright would not get picked up by one of Arizona, Cleveland, or the Chicago Theos is if some other clubs gets him first.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Folks are seriously considering outrighting Wright off the roster? That's ridiculous.

The only way Wright would not get picked up by one of Arizona, Cleveland, or the Chicago Theos is if some other clubs gets him first.

I don't know about that. Most teams, maybe including those, are probably not "ready" for a knuckleballer, which is a really different kind of cat. Who would coach the guy when things go wrong? We have Wakefield for that. I wouldn't doubt if every single other team would decide why bother. After all, Wright will be 33 next time he can pitch, and he's no Hoyt Wilhelm, or Phil Niekro, or Hough or Wakefield.

 

[Buzzkill Pauley]

I don't know about that. Most teams, maybe including those, are probably not "ready" for a knuckleballer, which is a really different kind of cat. Who would coach the guy when things go wrong? We have Wakefield for that. I wouldn't doubt if every single other team would decide why bother. After all, Wright will be 33 next time he can pitch, and he's no Hoyt Wilhelm, or Phil Niekro, or Hough or Wakefield.

But this is why I listed the three teams I did. Any team with a Front Office connection to the Wakefield years will be delighted to snatch up an 2016 All-Star starter for less than $2M and no lost organizational talent.

 

[Al Zarilla]

But this is why I listed the three teams I did. Any team with a Front Office connection to the Wakefield years will be delighted to snatch up an 2016 All-Star starter for less than $2M and no lost organizational talent.

Maybe, but I think they'd be more inclined to remember Wake at the end of his career and Wright right now (two significant injuries in two years) and say why bother. That's on top of why bring on the added complication of a knuckleballer.

 

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Maybe, but I think they'd be more inclined to think Wake at the end of his career and Wright right now (two significant injuries in two years) and say why bother. That's on top of why bring on the added complication of a knuckleballer.

The question of "why bother" will be amply answered by the end of the Kyle Kendrick era in Boston, whenever that blessed moment may be.

Being able to backfill a rotation with a devalued asset potentially capable of throwing a half-season of All-Star level starting pitching -- but who isn't incapable or unwilling to throw long relief, either -- for well under $2M and no net loss of talent? That's the type of move that anyone would make.

Unless, of course, because they got scared off by the mere fact of that pitcher being a knuckleballer. But no front office staffed by ex-Sox from the Wakefield years will get scared off.

 

[Al Zarilla]

The question of "why bother" will be amply answered by the end of the Kyle Kendrick era in Boston, whenever that blessed moment may be.

Being able to backfill a rotation with a devalued asset potentially capable of throwing a half-season of All-Star level starting pitching -- but who isn't incapable or unwilling to throw long relief, either -- for well under $2M and no net loss of talent? That's the type of move that anyone would make.

Unless, of course, because they got scared off by the mere fact of that pitcher being a knuckleballer. But no front office staffed by ex-Sox from the Wakefield years will get scared off.

We'll see what happens. Teams do bring in a lot of marginal guys for a look see, with the odds of them ever seeing a major league field from inside the lines not great. I think of Belichick and the Pats more in this area with their practice squad and all. Major League teams have their minors to stash people in, but then does the guy have options?

 

[nighthob]

Is "cartilage restoration" a code word for microfracture surgery? That's what the Red Sox said Wright is getting.

Yes. Microfracture isn't the injury, it's the procedure used to produce excess scar tissue that serves in place of cartilage (more or less, DRS will be along presently to explain it fully).

 

[Imbricus]

MassLive makes it sound like it's not microfracture surgery (see below). There are a number of cartilage restoration surgeries available now. I think the most common is to grow your own cartilage cells in a dish, then transplant them into the knee. However, this has been shown to have a similar long-term efficacy as microfracture and it's a bit messier. Anyone who knows more about what's happening with Wright, please chime in -- maybe MassLive got it wrong or I'm misreading.

The surgery, which will take place Monday in New York, involves a lengthy rehab process that will keep Wright out the rest of the season, but he's expected to be ready for the start of 2018.

There was an option for Wright to have microfracture surgery, but that type of surgery wouldn't ultimately heal the hole in the cartilage.