Josh Outman Demotion by Oakland Athletics a Big Mistake

One thing that has always baffled me about MLB management is when a team sends a player to the minors after he performs well for them.  You see it most often with pitchers, especially younger ones.

For example, a team may need a spot starter for a doubleheader, so they call up one of their young pitchers from the minors.  This pitcher could then throw a shutout, but since he's not part of the team's current plans, he'll be immediately sent back down to the minors.  It's almost as if the start he just made did not matter.

If a pitcher does his job and pitches well, he should be rewarded by staying on the major league roster.  What kind of message is baseball management sending to a young pitcher by demoting him after he pitches great?

The Oakland Athletics recently did this with young Josh Outman.  In 2009, he appeared in 14 games with the team and pitched well, posting a 3.48 ERA.  The A's had high hopes for him in 2010, but he missed the entire season, due to injury.

So far in 2011, he has started eight games and has posted a very impressive 3.47 ERA, certainly good enough to stay on the team.  However, on July 3, Outman was demoted as Brandon McCarthy returned from injury.

The A's have a very good rotation, and you could argue that the five starters they already have are all better than Outman.  If that's the case, send him to the bullpen then, not the minors.  Even though it's a less popular choice, try using a six-man rotation. 

It's probably only a matter of time before Rich Harden gets hurt again, as he simply cannot stay healthy for any amount of time.  Guillermo Moscoso has pitched very well so far, but he hasn't enjoyed this kind of success before and could certainly falter down the stretch.

If Bob Melvin did not want to use a six-man rotation, then why didn't he at least try putting him in the bullpen?  The A's already have one of the best bullpens in baseball, but there are still some weak spots.  Brian Fuentes has been absolutely horrible this year, and the A's should possibly consider removing him from the team.

Fautino De Los Santos is only 25 years old, and is just seeing his first major league action.  Even though he has pitched very well in his short stint with the A's, why does he get to stay on the roster and not Outman?  Outman has certainly proved himself more worthy, pitching very well for the A's every time he has gotten a chance.

The only reason I'm picking on the A's is because this is the most recent situation where a good player who is ready to play at the major league level has been sent to the minors.

Teams need to stop doing this, and realize that these good, young players can help you win, even if they're not in your current plans.