On Monday, the Detroit Tigers announced that their top pitching prospect Casey Mize has been reassigned to an “alternate training location.”
With that news, many Tigers fans sighed because they had hoped that they would get a chance to see Mize wearing the Old English D to start the season, especially with Jordan Zimmermann going on the 45-day injured-list and Daniel Norris’ status still being a mystery.
But for those who are familiar with how MLB teams can manipulate service time during this shortened 60-game season, it is no surprise at all that Mize was left off the Opening Day roster. In fact, leaving him off was 100% a no-brainer decision for Tigers GM Al Avila.
For those of you who are not aware of what I am referring to, let me enlighten you.
When it was determined that the 2020 season would be just 60 games in duration, Major League Baseball also had to make a decision on how they would track/enforce service time for players like Mize, who have not yet played in the Big Leagues. It was determined that if Mize (or any player in his situation) were to start the season in MLB, then the season would count as service time and essentially “start the clock.” This means the Tigers would have one less year of contractual control over Mize.
That being said, MLB also decided that if Mize (or a player in his situation) is not with his MLB club for at least the first seven days of the season, he could then be added to the roster without it counting as service time.
This means is that if the Tigers so choose, they could leave Mize in the “alternate training location” (AKA minor leagues) for the first seven days of the season go by and then call him up with absolutely no penalty when it comes to service time.
Though Avila said on Monday that service had nothing to do with his decision to keep Mize off the Opening Day roster, you can bet Mize’s agent (Scott Boras) has been putting the pressure on the Tigers to bring up his client as soon as possible, especially considering Mize will only make Minor-League money until he is actually in MLB.
It is also important to point out that if the Tigers put Mize on the Taxi squad, which would travel with the rest of the Big League team throughout the season, he would still be paid his minor-league salary, despite having to take all of the “Covid-19” risks that the rest of his teammates making the big bucks would be taking.
Nation, Casey Mize may not be on the Tigers’ Opening Day roster but do not be at all surprised if he is called up sometime next weekend.
