When the Cardinals placed Jim Edmonds on the disabled list yesterday, more than a few people wondered why Rick Ankiel and his .286/.323/.608 didn't get the call-up over Skip Schumaker, who's hit well in AAA Memphis but struggled in St. Louis this year. Tony La Russa gave the explanation to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today, that Ankiel is out of options and the Cardinals would risk losing him if they had to send him back to the minors. "We talk about Rick a lot," La Russa said. "Every day he gets four at-bats (in Class AAA) he's closer to getting to the majors and staying here."
I'm sorry, but that seems like kind of faulty logic to me. If/when the Cards call Ankiel up, either he'll hit or he won't. Maybe that seems overly simplistic, but I don't think so. If he hits, the Cards are going to have to keep him around when Edmonds comes back because not many people on the team are doing that right now. If he doesn't hit, who's going to make a waiver claim on a 28-year old former pitcher that's trying to be an outfielder and failing at it? He's already passed through waivers once and maybe his AAA numbers make him more attractive this time around.
Ankiel is at the age that the Cards have to at least figure out what they have. He's older than most prospects, but he's got much less minor league seasoning because of his time as a pitcher. They know what they have in Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker and other similar guys, they might as well take a look at Ankiel and see if he'll ever amount to anything more.
Previously at the Fanhouse
Braden Looper AND Jim Edmonds Go on the Disabled List
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