Now here is something you wait until the end of business right before a three-day weekend to do:
To clear space for [Chris] Duffy on the 40-man roster, right-hander Bryan Bullington was designated for assignment.
Bullington, as you all know, was the top pick in the 2002 draft. Judged by that standard, his pro career has been a spectacular failure. In the low minors, he didn't have the solid stuff he had shown before being drafted, generally throwing his fastball in the high 80s. Since beating up on South Atlantic League hitters in eight games during his first pro season, he hasn't had a single stop where his stats and stuff indicated he was likely to be any more than the last guy out of a big-league bullpen. There was literally nothing to recommend him other than his draft position. Meanwhile, other top-20 picks in that draft include B.J. Upton, Prince Fielder, Jeremy Hermida, James Loney, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, Cole Hamels, Jeff Francis, Zach Greinke...
Obviously, it isn't Bullington's fault he was taken first. I wish him well. But what I wouldn't do for a do-over.