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The Royals called up just one player when the Omaha Storm Chasers' season ended: pitcher Tim Collins.
Looks like they are still hoping Christian Colon recovers in time for the post-season.
Christian Colon flew to Arizona to test his broken finger in Instrux. The team wants to see if he can contribute in October
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) September 24, 2014For awhile, I was wondering if the Royals were going to make the post-season. But it now looks like they will, probably as the first wild card.
I'm really baffled that they aren't carrying another utility infielder. They've got no depth. With any other team, I'd think Paul Janish had a good chance of being called up. But the Royals are weird.
Labels: Paul Janish
The Omaha Storm Chasers defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox in a rain-delayed game Tuesday night to take the AAA Championship...again.
Paul Janish is somewhere in the above photo, but I couldn't pick him out. I did recognize him this photo, #21, front and center.
George Grande and Jim Kaat called the game for NBC. Grande is a Reds announcer, so he was pretty familiar with Paul Janish. He said some nice things about him. According to him, the Storm Chasers had the worse defense in the league until Janish came on board. They ended up solidly in the middle of the pack. (Hey, one man can only do so much.) He also said the Storm Chasers manager pointed to Brian Bocock and Paul Janish when asked who the leaders in the clubhouse were.
FWIW...the Royals put backup SS Christian Colon on the 15-day DL yesterday. The timing seems a bit odd. He broke his finger 10 days ago. With the expanded rosters, there's no need to DL him if they want to call up someone else. The only reason to put him on the DL is to substitute someone else for the postseason roster...someone who was not on the 25 man roster on Aug. 31.
They could have waited until they actually had to set the postseason roster, so it's still a little odd. I think what this means is that they don't think he'll be healthy enough to play this year. Also, DLing him the day after Omaha's season ended suggests that they're considering calling up someone from the AAA team.
The Royals have not called up anyone to replace Colon yet. Today's an off day for them, so they might not make a move until tomorrow. Assuming they even make a move.
In other news, Bryan Price thinks Tony Cingrani's role might be in the pen next year.
"I think the more he starts, the more it becomes apparent that he definitely needs to improve the breaking ball and the change-up or he'll be better served pitching out of the bullpen."
Ugh. I'm afraid they're going to do the same thing with him that they did with Aroldis Chapman. The Reds see next year as their window. In the long run, they might be better off letting Cingrani perfect his secondary pitches in AAA, but they're in "win now" mode and don't have time for that.
Labels: Paul Janish, Tony Cingrani
Both the IL and the PCL went the distance this year. Omaha won Game 5 yesterday, so they are PCL champions for the second year in a row.
The announcers noted that Janish had been on the Rice team that won the College World Series in Omaha eleven years ago.
There's one more game: the one-game PCL vs. IL championship, played in Charlotte, NC this year. That's tomorrow night.
As for whether Janish will be called up after Omaha's season is done...I haven't a clue. They could definitely use some infield depth in Kansas City, but Ciriaco might get the call, rather than Janish. It's also possible they'll try to stick with Colon, broken finger and all.
If I were the GM, I'd pick Janish. But then, if I were the GM, I wouldn't have let the team go without a backup SS for most of the season. Anyways, Janish has a better glove; Ciriaco's been a better hitter, but not that much better. But Ciriaco was called up when rosters expanded last year, and that's probably an advantage. They know him.
It might be moot, anyway. The Royals are collapsing, and are in danger of missing the postseason. I feel so sorry for their fans. They got their hopes us this year. If they are dashed, it's going to be ugly. The natives are definitely getting restless.
Labels: Paul Janish
Royals backup infielder Christian Colon suffered an injury that will likely end his season.
Christian Colon broke his middle finger. A team official said he will be out for "a while."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) September 3, 2014This might create an opening for Paul Janish. Colon is probably the only reserve player on the roster you'd want to see in the middle infield.
OTOH, the Rockies seem much more concerned about offense than defense (and I can understand why). And they have Cal Ripken starting at SS. Alcides Escobar has started at SS every game this season. My mind is boggled.
Stay tuned, I guess.
Labels: Paul Janish
The Omaha Storm Chasers clinched a postseason berth in the wee hours last night, in a rain-delayed game. Today was the last game of the regular season, and it ended up being called early due to "travel curfew." Janish's former team, the Sky Sox, wanted to get the heck out of dodge. With the game meaningless - the Sky Sox are the cellar dwellers of their division - they wanted to make sure they made their flight. So the game was called with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.
Janish did not play in today's game. I wondered if he'd been called up, but it looks like it was just a day game after a night game thing. The Royals have announced their September callups. Johnny Giavotella was the infielder who got the call.
Looks like the Royals are going with Jayson Nix as their backup SS. Even though he's pretty horrendous there. They do have a SS on the 40-man roster, Christian Colon, but it seems he's not being called up, either.
Janish went 2 for 3 with a double and walk last night, in the last game of the regular season. That makes his line .268 / .323 / .359 for the season, .314 / .375 / .438 for the Storm Chasers. I assume he'll start at SS in the PCL playoffs, so last night wasn't his last game.
In other news, Oakland has DFA'd Joe Savery. He put up decent numbers this year, and someone will likely take a flyer on him. But he will not be eligible to play in the postseason.
Labels: Joe Savery, Paul Janish
