Mayberry optioned
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Mayberry optioned
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Shane Victorino is back and the player to go is outfielder John Mayberry Jr.
Mayberry was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley as the corresponding move for Victorino's activation from the disabled list. The Phillies decided because of Mayberry's available option he was the odd man out. Michael Martinez, the utility player with an unsightly .481 OPS, would have to pass through waivers and then be offered back to his original team, Washington, due to his Rule 5 status. So he stays.
Mayberry, of course, can be optioned back and forth from the minors as many times as the Phillies would like this season. The guess is he will be back, eventually.
But like Martinez, the 27-year-old Mayberry hadn't exactly been tearing it up either, with a .187 batting average and .580 OPS in 28 games (18 starts) since May 1. He is probably the second-best defender behind Victorino in the outfield.
Mayberry showed aggressiveness on the bases, but more of the same that has defined his minor-league career: He's solid against lefties, has inferior power numbers against righties and remains suseptible to breaking balls.
Martinez offers versatility and speed, two things the Phillies have decided are in his favor right now. With the uncertainty of Chase Utley's knee, he provides insurance up the middle.
There has been quite a bit of sentiment for keeping Mayberry over Martinez, but this roster move was to decide the 25th man on a roster. Rarely will a 25th man have any bearing in a game or season. So let's relax a bit.
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Who backs Howard up at first base? Utley? Mr. Torn Hip? Nobody?— kdavis2172- Mayberry needs more MAJOR LEAGUE at bats. That's the facts. Martinez adds no real benefit to this roster. Mayberry can pinch hit at a high level and can run the bases just as weel if not better than Martinez. I understand Mayberry's 27 and some are frustrated with his "slow" development against righties...anyone heard of Jayson Werth? Yeah the only way he got better and better was to play everday against both righties and lefties. Mayberry's the same. The minor leagues have done all they can do for him now. He needs to be on this club. This was not the best move overall for this team right now— Fumblersuki20
- Good comparison to Werth whose first half splits for 2007 were .235/.333/.353. Not saying Mayberry is automatically Werth, but Werth doesn't become Werth if the Phillies send him to AAA after the first half of 2007. It doesn't take a genius to realize that the best bet for the Phillies to be dominant over the next few years is to have some low cost players under their control develop into contributors- like Chooch, Victorino, Werth, and Hamels in 2008. Martinez won't be a contributor. Mayberry might be, but he certainly won't develop into one playing for the Iron Pigs. — jtj06
- I was hoping all the people comparing Mayberry and Francisco to Werth was over. I was shaking my head in spring training at all the folks using stats to compare them with Werth. Just as jtj06 did to say that all Mayberry and Francisco needed was a chance. I said then and am still saying now Mayberry is still in the minors at 27 because he can't hit major league off speed stuff. And Francisco at this late stage is what he is a 4th or 5th outfielder at best. Werth didn't "develop" 1st because he was drafted as a catcher and had to switch positions ad then the couple of years before the Phillies got him it was because of injuries. Not because he couldn't play at the major league level. That being said Gload to the DL was the right choice. The Phillies love affair with Martinez is a mystery as well. — bigfootnells
- Best case scenario: JR gets to play regularly and work on hitting right handers and breaking balls along with some more work as a back-up first baseman...he will be a valuable member of the Phils next year at the very least as a top bench player if he doesn't win the left field job outright...— stan the man too
- This move is about as dumb as trading Lee for nothing. Even though it is the last roster spot, there is no reason to keep a no hit, no field, Rule 5 flub with zero upside, pure and simple. Simply stupid— alwaysphil1
Comment removed.- Every spot on the roster matters. There's a saying every team wins 50 and loses 50 and it's the other 62 games that matter. The bench and bullpen play a big role in how many of those 62 you win.— booman55
- When will the 25th man on the roster make any difference to a game or the season??? How bout Opening Day as Exhibit A???— Joe Stat
- Bravo. Excellent point. — PhightinPhil
- Martinez is only reserve infielder we have outside of Wilson Valdez. Rollins and Utley are going to get frequent days off, so they had to keep MM.— booman55
- The bench needs a decent righty bat. With Mayberry optioned the best one now is Valdez. Ugh. But, whatever. Let's hit and pitch better, take at least 2 of 3 in Pitt and this is all forgotten.— Jaxen
- Sorry to disagree with the Mayberry supporters but as likeable as the man (he's no kid)seems to be, he, Francisco and Martinez all look like marginal Major Leaguers to me. Deciding which one's better is like trying to decide which is faster: a white, blue or red Chevy Chevette. The answer is none of them are very fast.— eman
- I largely agree with your post, except Francisco has been given ample opportunity at the big league level and he isn't a good hitter, fielder, runner, or thrower. Martinez is 28 going on 29 and still hasn't been able to put in time or prove himself at the AAA level (33 games in his career). Mayberry is above average as a runner, fielder, and thrower and has played 331 games at the AAA level. He can actually help the team off the bench and doesn't benefit from seeing more AAA pitching. — jtj06
- Love it but Francisco has proven in the past that he can be a serviceable spare outfielder that can on occasion fill in for a short period of time. Mayberry has proven that he still can't hit major league pitching and Martinez has proven that fast, multi positional good fielding light hitting infielders will always find a spot at the end of a major league bench or be waiting in the minors as insurance in case of injury. — bigfootnells
