George Sherrill is no longer “The Sheriff” of Dodgertown after being put on waivers today, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Not completely surprising, as Sherrill’s decline this season has been nothing short of shocking. But now what? As a veteran, Sherrill would have to give the OK to be sent down to the minors, or if he clears waivers (as he most likely will), he’s also free to sign as a free agent with another club.
Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness and True Blue LA have their takes on the roster move and Sherrill’s freefall this season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sherrill head to the minors. It’s my understanding that this possibility may have previously been discussed with the pitcher. It could be that as his slump has continued, he’s come around to the fact that his “mechanical issues” would be best addressed away from Dodger Stadium.
As Ned Colletti has noted in the past, middle relief pitching can be extremely volitle, which makes things even more tricky as the trade deadline approaches.
UPDATE (July 19): Sherrill cleared waivers, which is no surprise. I don’t think anyone thought another team would be willing to pick up that contract with Sherrill as out of whack mechanically as he is. So now the Dodgers have until July 31st to either send him to the minors, release him or just keep him on the active roster. As a veteran with more than five years of experience, Sherrill would have to agree to go to Albuquerque, and that’s not expected to happen, no matter how much the Dodgers front office would like it to. Plus, with the current state of the bullpen, a shaky George Sherrill is better than no George Sherrill. My best guess is that Sherrill will ultimately be flat-out released once Ned can pull off a trade or two for some bullpen help (remember the trade deadline is Saturday, August 1st). Again, just a guess.
Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/2010 LA Dodgers