Wei-Yin Chen is not happy about his demotion and he may have a point
By every measure, Baltimore Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen has been one of the team’s best pitchers this season. After tossing eight shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, Chen lowered his ERA to a strong 2.89.
His reward: How about a demotion to High-A?
The Orioles sent Chen down to the minors Tuesday, citing “general soreness,” according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Chen must remain in the minors for 10-days before he can be recalled back to the majors.
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The 29-year-old made it clear he was not a fan of the move.
Chen added that he was not a fan of his routine being changed.
He’s got a point, too. Not only is Chen pitching far too well to be demoted, but the Orioles have some dubious reasons for pushing him to the minors.
By sending Chen down, the team ensures he’ll miss a start against the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto has absolutely crushed left-handers this season, hitting .313/.372/.504 against southpaws. The team’s 143 wRC+ is easily the highest figure against left-handers among every team.
There’s also the whole injury issue.
Yeah, players who are suffering from injuries typically go on the disabled list. They don’t find themselves in the minors.
Considering those factors, it certainly looks like Baltimore is trying to game the system here. By putting Chen in the minors, he has to miss just 10 days instead of the usual 15. In the process, he won’t have to face the terrifying Blue Jays, and can return in time to make his next start on normal rest.
Using general soreness as the reason for the demotion seems like a way to get Chen to agree with the move. Obviously, that plan didn’t work.
Not surprisingly, Chen’s agent, Scott Boras, had an opinion on the matter.
Despite that, it’s unclear whether Boras and Chen will take action. Chen could probably file a grievance to fight the move, but that would be the most extreme option.
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For now, Chen will likely continue to be disappointed, but take the move in stride. He’s set to be a free-agent at the end of the season, and if he keeps pitching this well, he’ll be in a much better situation next year.
It’s looking like that opportunity will come away from Baltimore after this kerfuffle.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
