Brewers reliever threatens quitting after being left off the opening day roster
Legendary Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker once said that cut down day at spring training closely resembled a battle royale.
Down in the home clubhouse at Miller Park on Saturday, we’re guessing several Brewers would agree with that assessment based on the atmosphere.
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After completing a 4-4 tie against the Chicago White Sox, Brewers players were informed of the team’s last-minute roster decisions. Among them were veteran relievers Tyler Cravy and Rob Scahill, who both received the disappointing news that they wouldn’t be on the opening day roster. That’s despite both pitchers doing well enough this spring that many predicted they’d make it.
Now both pitchers are mad. Like really, really, mad. And Cravy in particular was steaming, even threatening to quit the organization while speaking to the media.
Scahill and Cravy both cut by #Brewers and quite upset after pitching well. Means outside move coming. Cravy even mentioned quitting.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
#Brewers GM David Stearns said understood disappointment of Cravy, who said might look for “9 to 5 job where I’m treated like a human."
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
Cravy and Scahill were upset most because they said were told it would be a competition for jobs, then pitched well and were cut anyway.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
Stearns noted Cravy likely was especially sensitive to late cut because he was cut right at end of spring training last year, too.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
More Cravy about possibly quitting: “I’m not sure I want to play for guys that treat you like this."
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
There were some strong words there from Cravy.
Brewers general manager David Stearns says he understands the frustration of both players given the timing and the circumstances, but Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel seemed to sum up the reality of the situation the best.
What this all means is that players have a right to be upset if they think they were cut unfairly but baseball remains a business.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
If Stearns has another move he thinks improves the team, he is obligated to do it but doesn’t mean affected players have to like it.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 1, 2017
Cravy’s emotional rant is difficult to criticize from the standpoint that he’s clearly frustrated and hurting after doing what he believed was a good enough job this spring.
Unfortunately, the timing of all of this was somewhat awkward given that teammate Rene Garcia was transported to a hospital about an hour before after being injured in a home-plate collision.
Rene Garcia was transported to Froederdt Hospital, Craig Counsell said. They are concerned about his head/neck and his left knee.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 1, 2017
No update on Garcia’s condition has been given yet, but there was obviously a great deal of concern focused there in the Brewers clubhouse on top of the brewing tension.
It’s also worth noting that Cravy has since issued the following statement on Twitter.
FWIW pic.twitter.com/RtwSGJTs7u
— Tyler Cravy (@TylerJayCravy) April 2, 2017
This isn’t to say anyone in the Brewers front office or even Cravy handled it poorly. There was really no way around handling the business side of the game with opening day less than 48 hours away. But the timing of if all could not have been any worse and the mix of emotions involved had to make for an uncomfortable postgame atmosphere.
More MLB opening day coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• Ranking all 30 opening day starters
• Padres star makes team in unique scenario
• Everything you need to know for baseball’s opening day
• MLB predictions 2017: World Series picks, standings and award-winners
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
