So Pat Burrell was released by the Rays yesterday, and Hank Blalock, a late sign in the spring  was called up.  Much has been written about Blalock’s contract being a deciding factor.  Many one year contracts for veterans with invites to spring training are written with an out clause.  You probably remember hearing a little something about these back in early April.

Many times a player just wants an invite to a big league camp so that he can show we he can do, particularly after a year with an injury, or any kind of prolonged slump.  The invite gets a player around all the things he needs to finish his recovery, and also to be consistently in front of big league scouts who may be looking to fill a hole on their own squad.  If the player isn’t going to make the major league club, he wants to become a free agent, so that another major league club can sign him without having to trade for him, or pick up a big salary.  Again, often that trigger date is early April.  But, in some cases, where the team doing the inviting might have a bigger question that won’t get answered in spring, they want more time to make the decision.  Sometimes the player knows his skills will need to be tested more than in spring training too.  So , they decide May 15th is the date by which  a decision will be made.  In Hank Blalock’s case, it paid off.  Pat Burrell given ample amount of time wasn’t getting the job done.  Blalock will now get a shot.

Here is the Marc Topkin piece where Rays GM Andrew Friedman says Blalock’s contract was not the real reason the decision was made yesterday, any yes 6 weeks is ample enough time to give Burrell a shot.  But the decision was made in time to bring Blalock up,  not tomorrow or the next day.  So while he may not be saying we bent to Blalocks contract, he is saying that the Rays thought Blalock was the best candidate to make the transition.

If the Rays weren’t at the top of their game with Burrell, look out Yankee fans if Blalock comes through.  They will be tough.