Sea Dogs release two

Official Website of the Portland Sea Dogs - News

The Sea Dogs released Mike O'Keefe and Tally Haines today (actually, we should give the Red Sox credit for releasing them). O'Keefe was released to make room for Chris Durbin as he came off the DL. Actually, I guess he makes room for Jeff Bailey, who took Durbin's roster spot a week ago.

O'Keefe is a first base/corner OF-type with a good eye and decent power. He came off a slow start last year to hit 248/340/430-19-68 in 133 games for the Sea Dogs last season, and was off to another slow start this season. The move doesn't surprise me too much, given that he's 27 and now in his 4th year in AA. He wasn't going to make it to Boston and was serving a bench role for the Sea Dogs. Both Bailey and Fulse are younger and have skills that O'Keefe doesn't posess (catching and speed, respectively). I think he'll find a place to catch on, because he does have a decent bat.

(An aside here - apparently when a guy gets dropped from a roster, he gets "disappeared". I can't find this year's stats for these guys at either the Sea Dogs, minorleaguebaseball, or Baseball America web sites. Hey, we need this information, people!!!).

Haines was pitching well, with an 0.87 ERA in 10.1 IP, but he's another "non-prospect", now 28 years old and in his 6th year at either AA or AAA ball. He's put up some decent numbers, but you really have to dominate as a minor league reliever to really get a shot in the majors. Also, waiting until the 14th inning to give up a game winning homer might not be the best career move. He'll get a job somewhere, too, I imagine, but time is running short for both of these guys.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to Haines' roster spot. The report says he was released to make room for Jon Lester - but Lester was only moved to make room for rehabbing Wade Miller. He's been with the Sea Dogs all year (not that you could tell - his stats aren't on the frigging web sites, either!). The Sea Dogs have been carrying 8 relievers this year, which seems like a little much, but I can't figure out where the other player move could be.