Old Detroit Blog

Wolverine Management’s Views on Service Time Manipulation

The Old Detroit Wolverine management team is on a retreat to Arizona for last minute scouting and analysis in advance of Wednesday’s roster management deadline. The entire team, plus Ben, spent a pleasantly hot afternoon at Chase Field (16th field OD management has visited which is still in use, to go with the 12 defunct stadia OD management has visited) to watch the D-backs (the 22nd franchise OD management has watched play a home game).

We were thrilled to get a chance to watch Eloy Jimenez play in person. As you all no doubt know, Eloy was sent to the minors a couple of weeks ago in a bald move to delay starting his MLB service time clock.  But then, miraculously, on Saturday he signed a contract setting out his wages for all his arbitration years, plus a year or two.  My first thought was “hey!” My second thought was “Hey!!! This makes service time manipulation pointless!  I wonder if he’ll be on the Opening Day roster?” Mark Johnson kindly assured me this meant Eloy would start the season in the White Sox lineup.

So the entire Wolverine management arrived at Chase Field this morning in a state of giddy elation, which Ben endured with his usual polite stoicism. Eloy went 0 for the day, but he drilled a bullet of a line drive in his first at bat.

Any deflation from the lack of Eloysian heroics was reflated by watching Nick Ahmed play a gorgeous shortstop for the D-backs.  “That’s my backup shortstop!” I boasted to Ben.

“Huh,” he said.

Nick went 0 for 2, as well, but that just makes him the equal to Eloy, the best prospect in Wolverine history.

But then, this evening, just a few minutes ago, I read where Fernando Tatis, Jr., is going to be in the Opening Day lineup for the Padres, regardless of service time implications.  “Good for the Padres,”  I said, “I’m  so happy to see a team do the right thi…”

I stopped there.  Because I had just seen the next line in the story.

It had been expected that Urias would man short to begin the year and shift over to second base in the long run. But with veteran Ian Kinsler locked in at second for the time being, Urias will end up opening the season at Triple-A…

Nooooooo!  Urias is my $13,000,000 second baseman!  He’s supposed to let me move Muncy to 3rd, improving both positions’ defense by a total of 2 games. And then I can have Devers be my OH, filling that hole!

I stormed into the Wolverine Arizona field office, and confronted my general manager.  “Why did you ever convince me to come out against service time manipulation?  We were COUNTING on the Padres manipulating Tatis’ service time so Urias could pile up innings at shortstop while Ian Kennedy collapsed at 2b, so when Tatis came up, second base would be open for Urias! That was our PLAN!”

“Calm down, Mr. Team President, calm down!” I said.  “You were just a-bubble Saturday about Eloy joining the roster, without service time shenanigans.”

“That meant I didn’t have to keep trying to trade for an outfielder.   It didn’t spoil anyone’s plans..”

“Except for maybe Jon Jay or some rookie being shoved off the White Sox roster.”

“Who cares about their plans? They’re just people trying to make a living. I’m talking about the fate of the Wolverines — our entire fantasy team.”

“So am I, Mr. President. Eloy coming up right away solved our outfield issues.  We don’t have to just hope Brinson has learned how to hit.”

“But it isn’t honorable to surprise us like that just a day before the allocation deadline!  It’s devious, malicious, unfair.  We don’t have time to make a deal to fix our second base problem now.”

“Saturday you were telling me how dishonorable it is for MLB teams to deny their players a year of superstar salaries!”

I stepped out of the room, leaving them to bicker. I needed time to think… Maybe Ahmed should be my primary shortstop for a while… then Trea Turner could help cover OH… Ahmed is 1.4 points better at defending shortstop than Turner is, so that almost erases the 1.6 hit OD will take from putting Muncy at 2b and Devers at 3b…