Vinny Rottino Designated for Assignment by New York Mets

Baseball can sometimes be a cold, cruel business.  It is performance-based, and because of that, players are often kept around based off one calculation: “What have you done for me lately?”

But when you know a baseball player, or even follow his career like I do with OF-IF-C Vinny Rottino, that calculation takes a flying leap (as it should, because these players are still human beings).  I’ve written extensively about Rottino’s struggle to make the major leagues to stay, and I had truly hoped that with his second stint this year with the Mets that he’d “stick” — but they needed another pitcher, so they called up lefthander Justin Hampson from Buffalo.  Rottino was the odd man out, and ended up getting designated for assignment.

Here’s a link from Amazin’ Avenue discussing the move:

http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/6/25/3115578/mets-vinny-rottino-justin-hampson-transaction

Now it’s up to the rest of major league baseball as to what they want to do, if anything, as Rottino can be claimed off waivers by any team.  If Rottino is not claimed, the Mets may send Rottino back to their AAA affiliate, Buffalo — or they may give him his outright release.

The fact that this fate can happen to anyone (including recent Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Juan Perez, who accepted another stint at AAA Nashville, and former Brewer IF-OF Brooks Conrad, who was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays) doesn’t make it sound, or feel, any better to the particular player in question.  And Rottino’s tried so hard — he’s done everything anyone’s ever asked of him, and he loves baseball so much — that this doesn’t seem fair or right.

Yet baseball is results-oriented, which is why it’s imperative for every baseball fan to realize that these player names mean something — someone’s career.  Someone’s blood, sweat and toil — someone’s persistence.

As always, I’ll keep you posted as to wherever Rottino ends up next.