Kopfgelt » has the right to refuse an assignment to the minor leagues. Give

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - The business of baseball is raw. It is unemotional. It creates space for feel good stories, some with lengthy enough time spans to reel in a fan base, but if the subject of said narrative doesnt fit with the broader plan he will find himself back on the outside. Todays subject: Munenori Kawasaki, who is packing his bags for a flight to Atlanta and a drive to nearby Lawrenceville. There, he will meet his Buffalo teammates, the Bisons, in the midst of a series against the Braves Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Its the business of baseball. Jose Reyes is ready to return. Kawasaki has options, meaning he can be demoted without passing through waivers. Its the obvious move and the right move. Its also a bold move; surely general manager Alex Anthopoulos knows many Blue Jays fans wont be happy. Neither are Kawasakis teammates. Not to say they disagree with the decision. Its just that Kawasaki left a unique impression. "This is the part of the game that sucks," said Mark Buehrle. "Between the fans and the guys in here I think everybodys fallen in love with this guy. Come up here and done everything everybodys asked for him to do and probably plus more. This is the part, I think every guy in baseball, not what you do on the field but the business side of it, thats what sucks about it." Buehrle went on to add, "I love the guy." Buehrles sentiment is the majority view in the clubhouse. Kawasaki commanded a large presence, one which belied his relatively diminutive stature. He mingled in broken English with those who speak English. He spoke in broken Spanish with the clubs Latin contingent. On the field, Kawasaki will be remembered for his two out, two-run, game-winning double which capped a four-run ninth inning in a 6-5 win over Baltimore on May 26. Weeks later, on June 21, Kawasaki would hit an improbable two-run home run in the seventh to pull the Blue Jays into a 6-6 tie with those same Orioles. Toronto would win the game 7-6 and climb to .500 for the first time this season. Manager John Gibbons, his finger on the pulse of his team, knew this was a delicate situation. He called an impromptu, brief team meeting after Tuesday nights 5-1 loss to the Rays to inform the players of the roster move. Thats atypical. "Its tough to do," said Gibbons. "But the way it sets up, you know we want to keep our pitching intact. In that spot he wouldnt be playing much at all but its tough. You feel for the kid, he did a tremendous job for us, but hell be back." Truth is Anthopoulos had few alternatives. Reliever Juan Perez, 34, is out of options. Were he to be designated for assignment, he assuredly would have been claimed on waivers. Perez has been effective, has experience and is making the major league minimum salary. Its unlikely, due to the money hes owed, Dustin McGowan would have been scooped up had he been waived but, because of service time, McGowan has the right to refuse an assignment to the minor leagues. Given he can still throw a fastball 95 miles per hour after multiple shoulder surgeries, the Jays are eager to see if McGowans a salvageable asset. Neil Wagner was a non-starter. Hes now a fixture in Gibbons bullpen. Its a credit to Kawasaki that on the day of Reyes return to the Blue Jays, an important moment in this rollercoaster of a season, its his demotion that has people talking. Upon learning of the move, Kawasaki addressed the media with a message for his fans. There was nothing broken about the English. "I love you guys," Kawasaki said. The feeling is mutual. NevilleD.O.B.: Aug. 22, 1986Billed height: 5-foot-8Billed weight: 194 poundsBilled from: Newcastle upon Tyne, EnglandSignature move: Red ArrowNickname: The Man that Gravity ForgotWWE main roster debut: March 30, 2015WWE Accolades1-time NXT champion; won on Feb. 27, 2014 (NXT Arrival)2-time NXT tag team champion (with Corey Graaves, Oliver Grey); first win on Jan.dddddddddddd31, 2013 (NXT)Slammy Award winner (Breakout star of the year, 2015)Only NXT superstar to hold the NXT championship and the NXT tag team championship ' ' '