Chad back to AAA
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I think Pete Abe said that Chad’s out of minor league options and they’d risk losing him. Granted it’s not the world’s biggest loss but they need to have that emergency catcher at AAA and Moeller — sadly — might be the best available right now.

I agree, MJ. Bruney clearly needed to be DL’d and a fresh arm (probably Ramirez, who still hasn’t given up a run in AAA) needed to be brought up.

It really bit them in the ass last night. Hughes can’t go back out because of the rain delay. Ohlendorf got bombed in two innings. And then they had to empty out the ‘pen.

On a semi-related topic… I know Joe Girardi is scared to death of rain delays and pitchers after what happened with Josh Johnson, but would it really have been a big deal to send Hughes back out? I’m all for protecting his arm, but he couldn’t stay warm and loose for fifty minutes?

That short outing (though it wasn’t his fault) really killed the bullpen.

But they need to get the roster in shape: Chad back to AAA, Bruney to the DL, and Shelley and Edwar back to the Bronx.

It’s still early and Girardi is still figuring out who can do what out of the pen. They also lack a true long man so far, so when a starter goes out early (for whatever reason), it’s been 2 innings at a time for the most part. If there were a true long man, those calls would be reduced.

A related point is that I can’t figure out Brian Cashman’s reluctance to use the DL. Brian Bruney has been hurt for two days. Common sense dictates that he’ll be placed on the DL with the type of injury he has. Why wait? Why not bring up a replacement? Why didn’t they DL Giambi/Posada/Jeter when they had the chance? This is a team that desperately needs a couple of fresh arms in the bullpen and Shelley Duncan’s RH bat on the bench.