Michael Schwimer traded to Blue Jays
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Michael Schwimer traded to Blue Jays
Matt Gelb
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Scott Proefrock walked through the Phillies clubhouse during the eighth inning of Saturday's Grapefruit League game with papers in his hand. The assistant general manager instructed a clubhouse attendant to find pitcher Michael Schwimer.
Schwimer was in the Phillies bullpen, exactly where one is supposed to be when scheduled to pitch. Except Schwimer was no longer a Phillie. He had been traded during the game to Toronto for Art Charles, a minor-league first baseman.
"Very surprised," Schwimer said.
This, in reality, was a move months in the making. Schwimer had angered the organization twice last season; first, by announcing roster moves on Twitter and, second, by disputing the team's decision to send him to triple A in August.
Both Schwimer and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said those incidents had nothing to do with Saturday's trade. Nonetheless, the Phillies dealt a 27-year-old arm with big-league experience for a 22-year-old first baseman who has never played above single A.
"It's an arm that should pitch in the big leagues," pitching coach Rich Dubee said of Schwimer. "He's got plenty of talent to pitch in the big leagues."
Schwimer said the players' union has not closed an inquiry into whether he was optioned to the minors while injured. That is against Major League Baseball's rules. The Phillies said Schwimer was healthy. The pitcher claimed a biceps ailment.
He can file a grievance with the union to seek lost service time and back pay up to approximately $75,000.
"It's still definitely an open issue," Schwimer said.
The Phillies had 13 relievers on their 40-man roster, and Amaro noted there would be a roster crunch to come before opening day. In 2012, Schwimer pitched more innings (34 1/3) than any Phillies reliever not named Jonathan Papelbon or Antonio Bastardo.
"This is a business," Schwimer said. "Everybody has to do what they think will make the team better. I respect their decision completely. I absolutely loved my time with the Phillies. They drafted me in 2008, called me up to the big leagues and if I wasn't a Phillie I would never have met my wife."
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Not a great loss, he never came up big in the many chances he was given. Add to the fact the off-field situations, and he was a goner. Good luck in Toronto.— JRH13- Art Charles, 1st...the next coming of Ryan Howard...ETA-2016. — Romus
- Hey...ya never know! — SteveS11
"Very surprised"? Really Schwimmer? After your little tirade you pulled last year, did you really think you'd stick around? Bad attitude. Good riddance.- Hey Schwimmer- no one told you life was gonna be this way...clap clap clap clap clap...
I won't have to hear that song in my head next time you're called up...
It's like you're always stuck in second gear... - too bad they didn't include Rosenberg in the deal, too— needahand
- Rosenberg is next. — SteveS11
- too bad they didn't include Rosenberg in the deal, too— needahand
- Smart move by Toronto. They have made so many great moves this offseason that they were tempting fate. The acquired Schwimer just to appease the baseball gods.— AreaMan
- @needahand: Minor wasn't much better. DeFratus couldn't locate to save his life. That's just the bullpen. Howard was typically Howard: 3 AB, 2 SO. Revere set the table in the 1st. If Manuel was smart, Revere is our 1 hole hitter. Rollins bat evolved into a middle of the order hitter. Hamels, for two innings, was what I would expect -- superb. I am not entirely surprised by the 4 errors, except the one by the supposed "expert in the field" - MiniMart. If he can't field, he's worthless.
- The Phils were a little childish about the 2 situations, especially the twitter incident. If you don't want people to announce moves when they see new players in the clubhouse, announce them before his 24 new teammates meet him, it's not like Schwimer conducted an investigation on who his new teammates might be, he simply waited until they showed up. The injury/ demotion is something else again, I have a feeling Schwimer suddenly felt pain when he was sent out, based on how often he was used and never complained. Either way, he's the jays problem now, for the Phils he was no better than the 10th best guy in a 7 man bullpen.— drbob1
- Seems to me, they should have at least gotten equal value for him. Somebody that is at least on the verge of The Show. And not a Single A first baseman who is already blocked by Howard and Ruf. Amaro, I wonder about you sometimes, boy.— cuyatm
- Amaro NEVER gets equal value. He is consistent in one area: he gets played by every GM, with the exception of Wade, and Wade now works for him -- ANOTHER stupid move when he could have let Wade go to another team so Amaro would have the possibility of having a GM out there that HE could fleece for a change.
- Seems to me that Wade fleeced him in both the Pence deal and the Oswalt deal. — Ssteve115
