Interesting thought

Remember that whole player development vs. winning thing that comes up every once in awhile?

Here is are some thoughts from the Roanoke Times.
In the minors, it's progress or perish
As baseball returns to Pulaski after a one-year hiatus, the team's Major League affiliate, the Seattle Mariners, look less for wins and more for quality at bats from hitters and pitchers who can throw strikes.

After going through the different levels of the system for the new Mariner fans in Virginia, there is this:

At each level, players must progress or perish. Nonperformers are released. Those who prove themselves are promoted. There is no exact science to this.

"None of this is in black and white," said Pulaski manager Rob Mummau, seven years with the Mariners organization, most of that as a scout. Before that, he spent seven seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays chain as a player.

There are no specific benchmarks players most meet in order to progress to the next level, but there are some general standards to note, Mummau said. The standards apply at each level.

Read the article for the standards and also keep this in mind:

Great statistics are hugely helpful in the decision-making process for the brass, but that's not the only factor.

"There are players hitting .210 who get promoted," Mummau said.