Figueroa DFA'd

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Brendan Prunty of the the Star-Ledger reports that less than an hour after Nelson Figueroa threw six innings for the Mets in a spot start for Mike Pelfrey, he was designated for assignment. The Mets purchased the contract of veteran Casey Fossum to replace Figueroa.
Figueroa threw six frames, allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out three.

What the hell? I thought the Mets were big on Figueroa, and he just gave them a quality start in place of Mike Pelfrey. Why would they DFA him and replace him with Casey Fossum?? This makes absolutely no sense to me. Someone please explain it to me.

[ljshorty89]

It doesn't make sense. Basically, I take it they're hoping no one claims him. But the thing is they're not particularly high on Figgy. They think he's a solid AAA starter, and could fill in for a couple MLB starts, but not much more than that. It's a little weird.

[Kingdom]

How is a player being not very good and the team realizing that.. weird?

[NYgiantsfan5689]

That's the thing. He IS good, or at least he's better than Casey Fossum. He was DFA'd immediately after a start where he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. That's pretty decent.

[ljshorty89]

He's not that good. He's good for like 3 starts, before the MLB figures him out again, and he goes to shit. Fossum was DOMINATING AAA ball, and is going to be a long reliever. Figgy was not going to fit in the bullpen, and they'd rather him start in AAA than not get used in MLB.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

But he's not gonna be in AAA now that he's been DFA'd. He's gotta be traded or cut within 10 days, no?

[ljshorty89]

A player that is designated for assignment is removed from his club’s 40-man roster and, within the next 10 days, traded, released or, if he clears outright waivers, assigned to the minor leagues. A club may not designate a player for assignment if the corresponding transaction is to recall a player on optional assignment. Here are the options a club has in some more detail:

Trade: A club interested in acquiring a player who has been designated for assignment may try to work out a trade before the player is placed on waivers, eliminating the possibility he might be claimed by a club with a higher waiver claim priority. Players with "10 and 5 rights" may not be traded without their consent.
Release: The player then becomes a free agent. He may sign with any club, including the team that released him.
Waivers: A club wishing to send a player designated for assignment to the minor leagues must first place him on irrevocable outright waivers, making him available to the other 29 clubs in reverse order of won-lost record.
In other words, a club DFA's a player to give themselves some options. The biggest benefit to a team when a player is DFA'd, the club gets to fill his 40 man roster slot while not committing yet to a formal course of action with the player. Note that of the ten day period, the player must be placed on waivers before seven days have passed if the team wishes to go that route.

Not quite. If they put him on waivers, he could clear waivers and return to AAA.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I coulda sworn DFA'ing someone and putting them on waivers were 2 different things

[ljshorty89]

That's the thing. Designated for Assignment just means they haven't determined what to do with the person yet. Once he's designated, he can be put on waivers over the next 7 days (if the team chooses to). If he's not put on waivers, he has to be traded or released by the 10th day.

[DirtyKash]

Short stay for Fossum. Only a week and he's already beed DFA'd himself. Ken Takahashi is up and at least he has a cool name.

[ljshorty89]

And Figueroa, who refused the Minor League Assignment, ended up resigning with the Mets. So we're all good.