GaryMrMets
03-25-2004, 05:40 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/8273393.htm
Posted on Thu, Mar. 25, 2004
Phils pick up catcher, drop Smith
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Soon after lefthander Bud Smith left the Phillies' clubhouse, perhaps for the last time, reliever David Coggin considered the current fate of his friend.
"It easily could have been me," Coggin said.
The Phillies claimed minor league catcher Michel Hernandez off waivers yesterday. They dropped Smith from the 40-man roster, paring the competitors for the final two spots in the bullpen to Amaury Telemaco, Ryan Madson and Coggin.
Like Smith, Coggin is recovering from career-threatening shoulder surgeries. The Phillies acquired Smith in the 2002 Scott Rolen trade with St. Louis, along with infielder Placido Polanco and reliever Mike Timlin. At that point Smith was a 22-year-old finesse pitcher with a big-league no-hitter to his credit, twirled in his rookie season, 2001.
After the trade, though, a left shoulder strain/inflammation turned into a torn labrum that required surgery in October 2002. Smith needed surgery again last July. His inability to locate his pitches this spring led to the Phillies' designating him for assignment. The Phillies wouldn't mind Smith's clearing waivers and retaining him in Triple A, giving him more time to recover.
There, he likely would pitch to Hernandez, at least part of the time. Hernandez, 25, spent most of 2003 with the Yankees' Triple A team in Columbus, where he batted .280 with four homers and 30 RBI in 89 games. The Yankees waived him in January, when the Red Sox claimed him; Boston waived him this week. Hernandez has two options left, which makes it easy to call him up and send him down and retain his rights.
Posted on Thu, Mar. 25, 2004
Phils pick up catcher, drop Smith
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Soon after lefthander Bud Smith left the Phillies' clubhouse, perhaps for the last time, reliever David Coggin considered the current fate of his friend.
"It easily could have been me," Coggin said.
The Phillies claimed minor league catcher Michel Hernandez off waivers yesterday. They dropped Smith from the 40-man roster, paring the competitors for the final two spots in the bullpen to Amaury Telemaco, Ryan Madson and Coggin.
Like Smith, Coggin is recovering from career-threatening shoulder surgeries. The Phillies acquired Smith in the 2002 Scott Rolen trade with St. Louis, along with infielder Placido Polanco and reliever Mike Timlin. At that point Smith was a 22-year-old finesse pitcher with a big-league no-hitter to his credit, twirled in his rookie season, 2001.
After the trade, though, a left shoulder strain/inflammation turned into a torn labrum that required surgery in October 2002. Smith needed surgery again last July. His inability to locate his pitches this spring led to the Phillies' designating him for assignment. The Phillies wouldn't mind Smith's clearing waivers and retaining him in Triple A, giving him more time to recover.
There, he likely would pitch to Hernandez, at least part of the time. Hernandez, 25, spent most of 2003 with the Yankees' Triple A team in Columbus, where he batted .280 with four homers and 30 RBI in 89 games. The Yankees waived him in January, when the Red Sox claimed him; Boston waived him this week. Hernandez has two options left, which makes it easy to call him up and send him down and retain his rights.