7 to get buyout - per usa today bob nightengale

[dumbdumb]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2026/07/05/cb-bucknor-laz-diaz-retire-mlb-umpires-buyout-2026-season/90814368007/ 

in more recent times the fewest amount of call up games before being hired full time was Dan Bellino, who had 1 game in 2008, 31 games in 2009, and 112 games in 2010, or 144 call up games before a 2011 full time hire.

[Marcus6]

This will be interesting - would have to think Brock Ballew, Derek Thomas are in line. Also seems like Willie Traynor is a fast track and would crack this new hire group. Bacon has been up and down for a while but hasn’t been as up this year as he was last year. I felt like the hirings of guys like Mackay, Clemons, and Walsh lately were “out of left field” so who knows? Feel like James Jean and Dexter Kelley haven’t been up in a while. Also don’t think they can pass up Pawol with how much they have invested in her.

[GerryB]

I see there are about 14 call ups on the wiki list (with numbers < 100). Are there more, and do any have numbers >= 100?

Obviously number is not a predictor, but I find it hard to think that MLB would assign a low number then release them. Ballou, Thomas and Traynor have low numbers.

[wolfe_man]

Just please only promote those worthy of true MLB umpire material.  It should be based scores and game-keeping ability, not anything else.   I don't want to bring politics in here, but let it be merit-based... please.