The Nationals announced today they've returned Rule 5 draftee Elvin Ramirez to the Mets, sending the right-hander back to New York after he missed the entire season with a shoulder injury.Ramirez, a hard-throwing reliever whose fastball reached triple digits when healthy, was plucked away from the Mets last December. The Nationals hoped he would become a key member of their bullpen, but after reporting late to spring training due to visa troubles he reported shoulder soreness.
Ramirez opened the season on the disabled list and had season-ending shoulder surgery in May. Per Rule 5 regulations, the Nationals were required to keep him in the organization while on the DL.
Though he's now considered healthy, the Nats would have to keep Ramirez on the 25-man roster for at least 90 days in 2012. Instead, they chose to send him back to New York, which will have to return $25,000 to the Nationals (who initially paid $50,000 to acquire him).
The move clears a spot on the Nats' 40-man roster.
13 comments:
No space on the 40 man for him. He was hitting 96 on the gun a few weeks ago. The Nats have several guys in the organization that compare favorably.
Too bad...would have liked to have seen what he could have brought to this team.Speaking of hard throwers, anyone know the status of Kimball?
This is great news. Finally, the Nats can afford to look at a legitimate prospect and say: "we've got better."
So if they had kept him through the end of this season, they would be required to keep him through the first 90 days in 2012? If that's correct, then I understand this. Otherwise I don't get it, because otherwise there is no need to make the move at this time. Yes, they lose the DL roster exemption at the end of the season, but they don't have to make space just yet because the free agents (Nix, Cora, Hernandez, Pudge, Ankiel, etc) no longer count.
NatsJack, Mark wrote "The move clears a spot on the Nats' 40-man roster." I think you are saying he would have to be added.
If it clears a spot, I wonder if the Nats have a trade in the works.
Bryce Harper 2 for 3 so far tonight with a 2 run HR and a double.
Free agents come off roster, 60 day DL players come on roster. No point hanging on to a player you have no intention to roster in 2012. Not fair to the player. Thet are going to need the space to protect their own players from rule 5.
Gonat...Mark made that comment, not me... mine was exactly what it says..."No space on the 40 man for him."
Bryce Harper was a triple away from the cycle last night w/ a 2 run HR, double, single, 2 walks & 3 RBIs in a wild 11-10 Scorpions 10 inning win.
NatsJack, thanks
So, Harper is starting to warm up to the AFL? I mean , he is 19 now and so much more mature...Go Bryce!!! We need your bat asap!
With his big game, Harper is back at Mendoza. Better days are coming.
From the MLB.com report:
Harper (Nationals) gave the fans at Phoenix Municipal Stadium a show in his best AFL game of the season season. The former top pick had three hits, including his first homer, three RBIs and fell a triple shy of the cycle. The No. 2 prospect in baseball also drew a pair of walks and scored twice.
This is a quote from last nights AFL game from A's #2 prospect Michael Choice. He hadn't played in 10 days and comes back with a plan, gets his pitch, and hits a HR in his 1st AB. So refreshing hearing a young batter stepping into the batters box with a PLAN!
"I was just coming back from taking a week off. I was looking for a pitch up in the zone and I just put wood on it. It was pretty cool, coming into the game I was just trying to get my timing back. Getting a homer in my first at-bat back shocked me more than anybody."
On these Rule 5s, it seems to me that taking a chance on a pitcher has a higher level of risk than a position player as we saw with Broderick. To take a Rule 5 through Spring Training and put them on the active roster, they have to be better than what you already have and most of these Rule 5's are guys who have never been above AA and most with little success. Not sure what Rizzo saw in Broderick. With Elvin Ramirez he saw 100mph.
Yes, there is lightning in a bottle if you find Dan Uggla or Jesus Flores and while some say Josh Hamilton, he was a #1 overall pick and was going to be taken by some team in 2006. In fact once Chicago Cubs took him, he was immediately traded to the Cincinatti Reds. A year after that the Reds traded Hamilton to the Rangers for Edinson Volquez.
Broderick showed some ability and once in "real game" action showed he wasn't ready and took up valuable space in a thin bullpen at that time.
When the Nats sent Broderick back to the Cardinals, the Cardinals placed him to AAA which he had never played in before. They turned him back into a starter.
Essentially the Nats gave Broderick some valuable big league experience and the Cardinals got him back with a return fee paid by the Nats.
With a stacked roster, I don't see Rule 5's in the Nats forseeable future.
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