Shawn Morimando being sent home due to lack of playing time

Flush with talent and with a ton of bullpen arms, the Cleveland Indians are sending pitcher Shawn Morimando home to start his offseason for no other than reason than lack of playing time.

According to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, Indians manager Terry Francona “felt bad” about the 24-year-old not getting any pitching time down the stretch, so he let him start his offseason a week early.

Morimando hasn’t pitched at any level since August 26, and he last pitched with the Indians on August 5, one of only two major-league games he’s appeared in this season.

With so many other bullpen arms competing for a playoff spot, and Morimando apparently not looking ready to take over in a crucial situation, it does make a bit of sense to just let him go home as there is nowhere left to demote him to with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers’ season ending on September 4.

It’s a strange move, but it’s also a generous one, assuming there’s nothing going on the behind the scenes causing him to want to leave the team early. If he’s just a 24-year-old who wants to see his family and maybe do something other than grind away for a non-existent chance to pitch in a mostly meaningless September game, then it was incredibly nice of Tito and the Indians to let him go home and playing Madden 18 or whatever he wants to do and still receive his full MLB paycheck.

I also don’t fault Shawn for not wanting to sit around on a hot bench for another week. He already got to celebrate winning the American League Central with the team, and the only “playoff atmosphere” left before the real thing is holding onto home-field advantage against a couple sub-par teams down the stretch.

Enjoy the free time, Shawn. Catch up on Game of Thrones if you haven’t already.