Really wish we could roll with 11 pitchers the rest of the year

[scOtt]

19 hours ago, Moondoggie said:

I've long advocated a 27-man roster, so teams could have an extra pitcher and an extra bench player. The way teams use pitchers today, 25 just isn't enough. You would think the union would be all for it since it would mean 30 (or 60 if you went to 27) more jobs. But owners don't like to pay salaries, so maybe that's the problem.

I know Buck was pretty disappointed the new CBA didn't include a 26th man.

[DrungoHazewood]

On 4/5/2017 at 0:35 PM, scOtt said:

I know Buck was pretty disappointed the new CBA didn't include a 26th man.

I know this would get no traction but I'd like a 15-man.  I'm half kidding, but part of me likes the way the game was in the early days when your RFer would come into pitch in real situations.  And your starting shortstop would play innings at all nine positions in an average season.  

Today we have great athletes that are pretty narrowly specialized.  I think it would be cool to see them challenging themselves in a broader range of disciplines.

[DrungoHazewood]

On 4/4/2017 at 5:16 PM, Moondoggie said:

I've long advocated a 27-man roster, so teams could have an extra pitcher and an extra bench player. The way teams use pitchers today, 25 just isn't enough. You would think the union would be all for it since it would mean 30 (or 60 if you went to 27) more jobs. But owners don't like to pay salaries, so maybe that's the problem.

Is there any reason to think the extra roster spots wouldn't just go to more generic short relievers?

[Moondoggie]

4 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Is there any reason to think the extra roster spots wouldn't just go to more generic short relievers?

That's certainly a possibility, depending on how the team used its bullpen. I think you'd certainly want one of the spots to go to a reliever anyway. But I think there would be good reasons for an extra bench player as well. The Orioles could carry a Mancini or (preferably for this year) a Pedro Alvarez without losing defensive flexibility. Any team could use another good pinch hitter or more defensive flexibility.

[BohKnowsBmore]

56 minutes ago, Moondoggie said:

That's certainly a possibility, depending on how the team used its bullpen. I think you'd certainly want one of the spots to go to a reliever anyway. But I think there would be good reasons for an extra bench player as well. The Orioles could carry a Mancini or (preferably for this year) a Pedro Alvarez without losing defensive flexibility. Any team could use another good pinch hitter or more defensive flexibility.

Here's a question:

Would the MLBPA oppose this?  It seems to me that this would devalue the premium paid to everyday players.  The ability to carry platoon-only players would increase, thus expanding the pool of viable players.  Without a corresponding increase in number of teams, this would enhance the bargaining power of teams.  

Put very simply:

[DrungoHazewood]

5 hours ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Here's a question:

Would the MLBPA oppose this?  It seems to me that this would devalue the premium paid to everyday players.  The ability to carry platoon-only players would increase, thus expanding the pool of viable players.  Without a corresponding increase in number of teams, this would enhance the bargaining power of teams.  

Put very simply:

Possibly, but I still think the quick/easy/cheap/noncontroversial utilization would be to have a 14-man pen and change pitchers twice an inning every inning after the 5th.

[Aristotelian]

16 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I know this would get no traction but I'd like a 15-man.  I'm half kidding, but part of me likes the way the game was in the early days when your RFer would come into pitch in real situations.  And your starting shortstop would play innings at all nine positions in an average season.  

Today we have great athletes that are pretty narrowly specialized.  I think it would be cool to see them challenging themselves in a broader range of disciplines.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Bethancourt in SD. If they find some value added it is possible we start seeing more of this. Madden has been doing some interesting things putting pitchers in LF, and Bumgarner is a better hitter than most of the Twins lineup.

[OFFNY]

16 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

 

I know that this would get no traction, but I'd like to see a 15-man roster. I'm half-kidding, but part of me likes the way the game was in the early days, when your RF'er would come into pitch in real situations. And your starting shortstop would play innings at all nine positions in an average season.  

Today, we have great athletes that are pretty narrowly specialized. I think it would be cool to see them challenging themselves in a broader range of disciplines.

 

o

 

Somewhat similar to when the NFL had 35-man rosters, and at least a handful of players on said rosters started on both offense and defense.

It was also not unusual for teams in those days to have linemen and linebackers (Lou Michaels, Lou Groza, Steve Myhra, etc.) double as placekickers.

 

o

[Moondoggie]

10 hours ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Here's a question:

Would the MLBPA oppose this?  It seems to me that this would devalue the premium paid to everyday players.  The ability to carry platoon-only players would increase, thus expanding the pool of viable players.  Without a corresponding increase in number of teams, this would enhance the bargaining power of teams.  

Put very simply:

That didn't seem to be a sticking point in the negations. I don't think one, or even two extra players at a minimal salary would have a big effect on the players at the top of the food chain. And, as I previously noted, it would open up more big league jobs. The problem the union ultimately had with the proposal that was on the table was that it was tied to a reduction of September roster expansion from 40 to 28, which would reduce service time for a lot of players.

[Moondoggie]

16 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I know this would get no traction but I'd like a 15-man.  I'm half kidding, but part of me likes the way the game was in the early days when your RFer would come into pitch in real situations.  And your starting shortstop would play innings at all nine positions in an average season.  

Today we have great athletes that are pretty narrowly specialized.  I think it would be cool to see them challenging themselves in a broader range of disciplines.

That would certainly create demand for players such as the Padres' Christian Bethancourt, who is on the roster as a pitcher, outfielder and backup catcher.