Joey Devine Sent Down To Triple-A
By Joseph Lopez
According to the Athletics team site, the A’s have option reliever Joey Devine to Triple-A Sacramento. The 27-year old Devine struggled this spring with his command and mechanics, so the decision to send him down to Sacramento certainly makes sense for the A’s.
In five appearances this spring, Devine compiled a 1-0 record and a 6.23 ERA. He walked a staggering 8 batters in 4.2 innings this spring, which just demonstrates the control issues he had this spring. In 65.1 career innings, however, Devine is 7-2 with 2.48 ERA. In 2008, Devine came to Oakland and went 6-1 with an impressive 0.59 ERA in 45.2 innings pitched.
The A’s hope that Devine can iron out all of his mechanical issues in Triple-A. He’s a talented pitcher who can be a dominant force in an Oakland bullpen that also includes the likes of Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes, and Andrew Bailey.
The team has enough added depth this season, however, to take the blow of losing a guy like Devine for any extended period of time.