Haudricourt: Brewers' final roster cuts not always final
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Baseball can be a funny game at times.
Actually, it can be a funny game a lot of times. And we’re talking funny as in odd.
When the Brewers put together their 25-man roster at the end of camp last spring, there was no room for right-handers Zach Davies and Junior Guerra or infielder Hernán Pérez. They were sent to Class AAA Colorado Springs and told to keep after it and their time would come.
Manager Craig Counsell admitted that can be the cruelest cut of all, coming on the last day of camp.
“That’s easy for us to say but tough on them,” said Counsell. “It’s tough being the last (cuts). The players understand that and we talk about it.”
Davies, Guerra and Pérez did not stay in the minors for long. Davies was recalled on April 17, taking the roster spot vacated when Matt Garza went on the disabled list with a lat strain. Eleven days later, Pérez was summoned to replace second baseman Scooter Gennett, who was placed on the DL with an oblique strain.
On May 3, just under a month after the season began, Guerra was recalled to assume the rotation spot previously held by Taylor Jungmann, who was demoted to the Sky Sox after five mostly awful starts. Davies, Guerra and Pérez each were told to go down to the minors, keep their chin up and be ready if a need arose, and those promises were kept.
By season’s end, Guerra (9-3, 2.81 ERA) and Davies (11-7, 3.97) had emerged as the team’s best starting pitchers, and Pérez evolved into a super utility man who played every position but pitcher and catcher, batting .272 with 13 homers, 56 RBI and 34 stolen bases.
When camp opened this spring, none of those three players had to fight for a job. Guerra and Davies will open the season as the Nos. 1 and 2 pitchers in the starting rotation. Pérez again will be a valuable player who sees time in both the infield and outfield while getting plenty of action.
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In making the final roster cuts this spring, Counsell is reminding each player sent out of the fate of Guerra, Davies and Pérez. The message is to move past the disappointment of not making the club out of camp, keep your head up and go down and perform well enough to be at the front of the line if an opening occurs.
“One of the points we’ve tried to stress this year in camp is that opening day is a symbolic day and everybody wants to break camp (with the team),” Counsell said.
“But we told them we had incredibly important performances with three players that did not break camp with us but were all with us (near) the end of April in Junior, Zach and Hernán Pérez. It teaches you a lesson.
“We focus on filling out that 25-man roster but you’re not out at all. You still have a chance. If you want to rank how valuable guys were in the season, all three come close to the top of the list. We try to remind ourselves that. It’s not easy for the players at the time. But that’s the deal.”
Counsell noted the opening-day roster stayed intact last season for exactly one day. After surrendering three home runs in one inning in the opener against Colorado, reliever Ariel Peña was designated for assignment the next day and replaced by Sam Freeman, who lasted less than a month.
“Every season, something like that happens,” Counsell said. “Because we’ve been together a long time, it feels final. But the roster is final for one day. It’s the final roster for April 3.”
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The longer you remain in camp, the tougher the news is to take that you didn’t make the team. There is little consolation in being No. 26 or 27 on the depth chart when only 25 players are going to make the opening-day roster.
But, when you’re playing at the Class AAA level, you’re always just one phone call away from the big leagues. When Colorado Springs manager Rick Sweet is asked which player looks most ready to help the Brewers, you want your name to be first out of his mouth.
“We saw that last year,” general manager David Stearns said. “We ran through 50 players over the course of the season. We’re going to need to run through a similar amount again this year.
“The vast majority of players who we end up sending out (in the final week of camp) are still going to play meaningful roles for our team moving forward.”
In other words, everything is subject to change.