Chris Mazza was a key piece of evidence for the players association last month.
The 32-year-old right-hander was a poster boy for what the players said was a system that allowed teams to unfairly abuse the minor-league options rule.
Mazza was recalled and sent back to the minors 11 different times for the Rays. The union eventually fought for a reform that will limit the number of times a player can be optioned in any season to five. After the fifth option, a player would be subject to waivers anytime he was sent to the minors.
The irony is that while Mazza was on a perpetual round trip between Triple-A Durham and Tampa Bay, he was establishing himself as a major-league talent for the first time.
After compiling a 5.74 ERA in his first 58 innings in the big leagues with the Mets, Red Sox and Rays, Mazza had a 1.72 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 15.2 innings in his final eight appearances.
Mazza, who is not on the 40-man roster and thus was allowed to begin minor league spring training during the lockout, started the Rays’ first spring game Friday and pitched two scoreless innings in a 7-6 loss to the Red Sox.
“He looked good. Mazza is going to play a big factor for us this year,” manager Kevin Cash said. “The way he finished last year it looks like … he was the same guy. He can really do some big things for us.”
Mazza said the transformation came last April when he was on the injured list and was working out with former Rays reliever Chaz Roe, who taught him the grip he uses on his wipeout slider.
“We were both rehabbing at the same time and working on that slide and talking a lot about grips,” Mazza said. “(I) started throwing it very similar to how he threw his and all of a sudden, it started moving like 18 to 20 inches. I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to play.’ From there, everything just kind of took off.”
Unlike last season, Mazza has no minor-league options remaining, which means if he is added to the big-league roster he will be subject to waivers if the Rays try to send him back to Durham.
Full article can be found at: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2022/03/18/if-he-never-visits-durham-again-chris-mazza-will-probably-be-a-happy-man/