i'd like to understand what do they mean by "(he) was vulnerable because he has minor league options remaining" in the following story:
ST. LOUIS (AP)—The Milwaukee Brewers optioned left-handed reliever Mitch Stetter to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, making room on the roster to activate Jeff Suppan to start against the Cardinals.
Stetter was 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 23 appearances over two stints. He has held opponents to a .160 batting average, and went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA since recalled on June 20, but was vulnerable because he has minor league options remaining.
Manager Ned Yost said the pitcher understood, and said “There wasn’t a lot of things we could do.”
The move left Brian Shouse as the lone left-hander in the bullpen, limiting Yost’s late-inning flexibility. Shouse was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 29 games.
Full Version: minor league contract question
QUOTE (olivier in france @ Jul 23 2008, 09:25 AM) 
i'd like to understand what do they mean by "(he) was vulnerable because he has minor league options remaining" in the following story:
ST. LOUIS (AP)—The Milwaukee Brewers optioned left-handed reliever Mitch Stetter to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, making room on the roster to activate Jeff Suppan to start against the Cardinals.
Stetter was 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 23 appearances over two stints. He has held opponents to a .160 batting average, and went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA since recalled on June 20, but was vulnerable because he has minor league options remaining.
Manager Ned Yost said the pitcher understood, and said “There wasn’t a lot of things we could do.”
The move left Brian Shouse as the lone left-hander in the bullpen, limiting Yost’s late-inning flexibility. Shouse was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 29 games.
ST. LOUIS (AP)—The Milwaukee Brewers optioned left-handed reliever Mitch Stetter to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, making room on the roster to activate Jeff Suppan to start against the Cardinals.
Stetter was 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 23 appearances over two stints. He has held opponents to a .160 batting average, and went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA since recalled on June 20, but was vulnerable because he has minor league options remaining.
Manager Ned Yost said the pitcher understood, and said “There wasn’t a lot of things we could do.”
The move left Brian Shouse as the lone left-hander in the bullpen, limiting Yost’s late-inning flexibility. Shouse was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 29 games.
I believe, in this case, that it means Stetter's service in the Majors is below a certain threshold, so he can be sent to the Minors without having to clear waivers. Sending down the other guy, Shouse, would've likely exposed him to potentially be claimed by every other team before he could be designated to Triple-A.
Here's what ESPN has to say:
"Options"
After three years as a pro, a player must be protected on a team's 40-man roster, or he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft (more on that later). Once he's served those three years, and assuming he is added to the 40-man roster, his club then has what are called "options" on him.
When a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the 25-man Major League roster, he is on "optional assignment." One common misconception about the rules is that a player may only be "optioned out" three times. Actually, each player has three option years, and he can be sent up and down as many times as the club chooses within those three seasons.
When you hear that a player is "out of options," that means he's been on the 40-man roster during three different seasons, beginning with his fourth as a pro, and to be sent down again he'll have to clear waivers (more on those below).
"Options"
After three years as a pro, a player must be protected on a team's 40-man roster, or he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft (more on that later). Once he's served those three years, and assuming he is added to the 40-man roster, his club then has what are called "options" on him.
When a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the 25-man Major League roster, he is on "optional assignment." One common misconception about the rules is that a player may only be "optioned out" three times. Actually, each player has three option years, and he can be sent up and down as many times as the club chooses within those three seasons.
When you hear that a player is "out of options," that means he's been on the 40-man roster during three different seasons, beginning with his fourth as a pro, and to be sent down again he'll have to clear waivers (more on those below).
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