Phillies temporary demotion will cost breakout pitcher $20,000
The Philadelphia Phillies are making a logical move that could have significant consequences. In order to navigate their upcoming stretch of games, the club will temporarily demote pitcher Zach Eflin. That demotion will cost Eflin $20,000.
Phillies’ move will cause Zach Eflin to miss out on $20,000
The Phillies needed to open up a roster spot after activating shortstop J.P Crawford from the disabled list Saturday. The team chose to demote Eflin, who has a 3.57 ERA over 90 2/3 innings.
They had a strategic reason for making that move. Elfin will not miss a start while he’s demoted. The team can recall him to be their 26th man during an Aug. 16 double-header against the New York Mets. Eflin would be on normal rest for that start.
Following that appearance, Eflin would head back to the minors to complete the mandatory 10-day demotion. Generally, players must remain in the minors 10 days after they are demoted.
Eflin will lose $20,000 due to spending nine days of service time in the minors. He gets a day of service time back for being the 26th man during the double-header.
How did Zach Elfin respond to the demotion?
Eflin has not spoken about the move yet, but manager Gabe Kapler told The Athletic that Eflin handled it like a pro.
Eflin’s agent, Tom O’Connell, had a slightly different take, according to The Athletic.
“Today was an understandingly extremely tough day for Zach,” Tom O’Connell, his agent, said in a statement to The Athletic. “While this transaction on the surface seems purely administrative, it caught us by surprise and is tremendously disappointing. Major-league starters have a strict routine that they adhere to that allows them to be successful; this roster move affects that. While the club may feel that they are doing what’s best for the organization, they also lose sight of the human element and how it will affect the player.”
Could the Phillies have done anything to prevent demoting Zach Eflin?
The team could have selected another player to get demoted. Technically, that player also would have lost out on money with the move. That happens all the time. The thing that sets apart Eflin is that his performance doesn’t merit a demotion.
By all accounts, Eflin is having a great year. His 3.57 ERA is 17 percent better than the league-average. He’s also posting the highest strikeout rate of his career, and his walk rate is strong.
The team could have instead sent down someone who was actually struggling, like Crawford or infielder Scott Kingery. With Eflin demoted, it looks like the team is punishing him for having a great season. The move would be more understandable with a struggling player.
How can the Phillies make it up to Zach Eflin?
Our own Jeff Passan covered this issue in his 10 Degrees column. He sees an easy solution for both sides.
“If the Phillies want to do right by him and thank him for allowing the team to carry an extra infielder, it can renew him next spring at $20,000 higher than it planned on. Eflin gets his money. The Phillies show they’re a player-friendly team and not just one out to manipulate rosters. Everyone wins.”
Making sure Eflin gets the money back seems like the right move. It prevents Eflin from harboring any bad feelings against the club, and it lets the clubhouse know that the Phillies aren’t out to take money from productive players.
(Yahoo Sports MLB H/N: CBS Sports)
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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