Angels solution to starting rotation logjam: Option Nick Tropeano to the Bees

When I recently asked our Twitter and Facebook fans to send me questions for a mailbag article, one thing that popped up a couple times was the subject of an impending backup in the Angels’ starting rotation plans.

With Nick Tropeano getting closer and closer to game-ready, the realization set in that the Halos would have to make a choice; a touch choice, nonetheless, but a necessary one, too. Someone would have to be booted in order to make room for Nick Tropeano, but the big question would be “Who?”.

Would it be the veteran Jered Weaver, the recent acquisition Jhoulys Chacin, Tim Lincecum, perhaps, but surely not Matt Shoemaker or Hector Santiago, right? WHO WOULD IT BE?!

None of the above, apparently. Nick Tropeano was activated and then optioned to AAA SLC, a move that made him quite the unhappy camper yesterday. For a guy sporting a 3.25 ERA, it’s kind of hard to blame him. NiTro has himself a case of righteous indignation, but could there be a rhyme behind the Angels’ reason?

Here’s the tough pill to swallow: Santiago, Shoemaker and NiTro were the only guys that could be optioned. The others would have to be DFA’d. The hope is that this is just temporary...but something has to give. A trade needs to happen, someone needs to be relegated to the bullpen, someone needs to be DFA’d...something. Because Tropeano’s time is now, he deserves to be on that mound for the Angels.

#FreeNiTro