This is the time you put your best players on the 26. (The same should go for Bernardino > Buehler, Hicks and even Wilson, but he can be called back up in 3 days.)
Despite all the attention put on our farm pitching, for once, we still have some very promising everyday players in the system, including a lot of IFA signings that may take 1-2 more seasons to start realizing we have some real good ones.
WOO lost 4-1. Mata pitched well for 2 IP. (Kind of a forgotten guy.)
POR is up big, 15-2. Rivera pitched well, again. (Not talked about much) Brannon 4-4, Ehrhard and Rosario homered.
Godbout and Jo Garcia had 2 hits in the GRE loss. Aita finally had a bad game in relief of Paez.
Whodathunk we'd be begging for Gio to come back.
Think of all the grief Brez took for that signing that was linked to the Sale trade and cost savings that allowed us to "upgrade" from the Kluber like $10M/1 deals to $39M/2.
Still, $39M/1 was a great deal for Gio.
I never thought of the word "fear" in this type of situation, but I suppose some batters get "afraid" to some extent, and maybe just not in high leverage situations.
Bernardino is so much better than Hicks and Buehler, and even better than Wilson, who has struggled for several weeks.
It's the time of the season where keeping as many options on the table begins to be outweighed by the need to have your best 26 on the roster for every game.
OPS Against
,365 Chapman
.465 Slaten
.525 Matz
.545 Bernardino
.553 Whitlock
.653 Weissert
.705 Wilson
.771 Hicks
.823 Buehler
Last 28 Days
.032 Chapman (OMG! last 31 PAs: 0-31 w 1 BB!)
.182 Bernardino (yes, this is OPS Against)
.525 Matz
.555 Weissert
.559 Whitlock
.781 Buehler
.816 Wilson
.861 Hicks
Even with Houck, Crawford, Dobbins, Sandoval, Mayer, Casas, Hendriks, Guerrero & Wink on the 60 and Abreu, Fitts and Lowe off the current roster, we still have a hell of a 26 and 40 man roster going.
Who gets demoted?
Hicks is out of options. Matz and may are, too.
I think Bernardino is the only one, but we need him.
How about Hicks to the phantom IL. (Kick him in the leg.)
The only other options might be to trade him in a package for a high(er) priced player.
I suggested Campbell & Yoshida for Keller & Reynolds (plus some cash)
Another could be trading Yoshida plus a good player to a team that can afford him and really wants that other player.