Should Detroit option Zumaya to Toledo?

Should Detroit option Zumaya to Toledo?
March 18th, 2008 at 8:52 pm

One of the benefits of growing your own talent is getting 3 years of quality production at or near the league minimum. Joel Zumaya was a bargain in 2006. In 2007 he didn’t cost the team much, but he didn’t contribute a whole lot either due to the exploding finger. In 2008 he figures to again be affordable, but not particularly productive for a big chunk of the season. Therein lies the problem. The Tigers and Zumaya are poised to waste a good portion of his pre-arb years on the DL.

As a general rule, players become arbitration eligible after 3 years of service time. There’s another caveat where the top 17% (based on days of service) of those players with more than 2, but less than 3 years of time are also eligible. These players are called Super 2’s. Last year the cutoff was 2 years and 131 days of service.

I bring this up because Joel Zumaya is a lock to miss at least two months of the season, or at least 60 days. Which means he’s a near lock to not actually be able to contribute enough days to equate to a Super 2. Zumaya still has 3 options left, never having used one. If the Tigers were to option Zumaya to Toledo for the duration of his DL stint they could delay arbitration by a season.

Now last year when the team had a full 40 man roster, it was advantageous to keep Zumaya on big league roster and place him on the 60 day DL freeing up a spot on the 40 man. It’s why Tony Giarratano was placed on the 60 day DL last year. This year the team has several spots open thanks to THE TRADE and it’s not a consideration.

Now the downside of this type of tactic is that it can be perceived as a jerk move by the player. You not only cut into his earnings in the current season, but it also pushes back his big payday a year. Also, the general impression is that the organization tends to take care of its players. Certainly an image worth maintaining when your ace is about to get more expensive and you’re trying to lock up one of the game’s preeminent hitters long term. Still, from an immediate pure dollars and sense standpoint it does warrant some consideration.

Maybe?

For the amount of time Zoom has spent on the DL, yet getting paid as a regular player, I think the Toledo option makes a whole lot of sense!

Toledo won't kill him. Maggs has spent time there rehabbing...it would keep him active and he could get back up to speed. Granted it isn't the bright lights of Detroit but it would build him up again.

Yep, and Rogers spent time there, last year after his injury, before coming back to Detroit.

It's actually pretty fun! We hope to get to a few games there this summer. It's a nice change of pace.

It would be a slap in the face to Zumaya if they optioned him to Toledo. Yeah, it makes more financial sense, but isn't loyalty to a player better? He hasn't proved much, but what he has proved should be enough for the Tigers to keep him on the ML DL.

It's like going to arbitration over $200,000 (say $6 million over $6.2 million). You pay the guy the extra $200,000 in hopes that he stays long-term with the team.

but is he getting enough rehab?

laprimamirala wrote:

but is he getting enough rehab?

"Rehabbing" and using an "option" are two different things. Of course he should rehab.

I kinda agree with bobrob on this one, it would be a HUGE slap in the face... on the other hand, he has basically done nothing on the major league roster the past year and he will not do much this year either. I'm glad this isn't up to me.

SoulRat wrote:

I kinda agree with bobrob on this one, it would be a HUGE slap in the face... on the other hand, he has basically done nothing on the major league roster the past year and he will not do much this year either. I'm glad this isn't up to me.

This is a definite 2-sided issue.

Put Joel on the DL and don't fiddle witb huis psyche any more than you have to.
We want him back ready to blow hitters away but not in anger.

it's been so long since he's even been on the mound!

I agree, give him a chance on the DL and if Illich is willing to pay his $$$, so be it. Zoom is a great pitcher, he should come back ok, just keep that video game away from him, cuze he STILL IS PLAYING IT!

bad boy!