SFGate is reporting Jonathan "Dirty" Sanchez has been scratched from his start tonight with a sore shoulder; Palmer will take his place. Baggs is also reporting on this, and says that there is no word on whether Sanchez will go on the DL.

Palmer was a college teammate of A's reliever Brad Ziegler. He has pitched in the Venezualan leagues and was just called up from Fresno. 

Palmer? I hardly knew her!  (Hardy har har har.)

I went to the Padres-Twins game last night, and starting at third for the Twins was former Giant Brian Buscher. Imagine my surprise that a) a former Giant minor league position player was playing in the majors with another team and b) that Brian Buscher was a former Giant. (I had honestly either never heard of him, or blocked him from my memory.)

He played pretty well, though quite obviously was not a prospect or world beater, as a 27 year old spot call up. He'll likely hit the bench as soon as they find a better 3B. When I got home, I looked him up on Baseball-Ref, and saw that he was small sample-sizing a pretty decent year. Then I looked up his minor league stats. 

As a Giant, he was marginal with a couple of good seasons; he seemed to struggle when promoted. This is probably why Sabes et al wasn't too broken up when the Twins drafted him in the Rule 5. However, look at his numbers once he's in the Twins org. He turns from a guy reaching for good seasons to a guy capable of hitting that every year. Granted, he's repeating levels and is obviously an organizational guy, but still... kinda burns to see one of "our" guys playing a position we desperately need help at for another MLB team. 

Does anyone know his story?

From the Mercury News:

Erick Threets appears to be on his way out of the Giants' organization. The left-hander must be recalled from his rehab assignment when it reaches the maximum 30 days on Friday, and indications are that he hasn't shown enough at Triple-A Fresno. He was 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA in 10 games, including a five-run implosion Sunday.

The Giants are believed to be discussing trades involving Threets, who went on the disabled list April 18 because of a mild abdominal strain.

Not sure anyone cares about the White Sox, but I know quite a few are ready to boo themselves horse everytime A.J. Pierzynski comes to the plate. He explains in this Chicago Sun-Times article that he didn't have a good time playing in SF, thinks the organization tried to ruin his career and that the fans were unfairly harsh to him. 

 I didn't enjoy my time in that city. It wasn't a good year, it wasn't fun. It's just bad vibes when I go to that city.

No mention in the article about him punching Stan Conte in the cajones. What do you think, boo the man like a silent movie villain, or kill him with indifference because who the hell cares about A.J. Pierzynski?

The Rays ideally want to replace Rocco Baldelli with a switch-hitter who could provide strong late-inning defense in right field and back up B.J. Upton in center. The Angels' Reggie Willits fits that description, but is said to be unavailable. Free agent Kenny Lofton and the Brewers' Gabe Gross are among the left-handed hitting possibilities. The Blue Jays' Reed Johnson, a right-handed hitter, also might fit, but many clubs view him as an injury risk. The Mets like Johnson, but would prefer an outfielder with more power.

Does anyone else read the above paragraph and think "Randy Winn?" 

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