Opening Day Roster released

[MurphDogg]

The biggest surprises to me are (1) Cedric Mullins and Dwight Smith, Jr. making the roster, (2) John Means on the IL and (3) no third catcher.

With Mullins on the roster, I don't see how Smith plays much, and I think Smith should be the one to go when Mountcastle arrives. Presumably Mullins will be the top option for late inning pinch-running and defensive replacement (mostly of Stewart). Mullins is the backup centerfielder, with Velazquez as the third centerfielder. Smith is probably the starter when Santander or Stewart get days off (until Mountcastle arrives), but with Stewart and Smith both lefties, and Santander a switch hitter (although he did bat better against lefties last year), he doesn't complement the existing outfielders the way Mountcastle will.

When the roster drops to 28 and Mountcastle is added, I would expect a pitcher, one of Valaika or Velazquez and one of Smith or Mullins to be dropped. 

Hess is probably the first pitcher to go when rosters decrease or when Means and Harvey are ready, though Sulser, Lakins, and Phillips probably shouldn't be too comfortable either.

[SteveA]

Just now, MurphDogg said:

The biggest surprises to me are (1) Cedric Mullins and Dwight Smith, Jr. making the roster, (2) John Means on the IL and (3) no third catcher

Guess Sisco's arm is feeling better.

If a catcher gets hurt in a home game, Bowie is just down the road.   In a road game they will have a taxi squad of 3 guys from Bowie travelling with the team in case they need to make an injury move.   A C (Holoday or Wins), a hitter (probably Herrera), and a pitcher.

Kind of surprised that Hess and Phillips made the team, I guess they really didn't want to lose someone off the 40 man to put a Valdez or Eshelman on the roster.

[wildcard]

Biggest surprise for me is Herrera did not make the cut.

[wildcard]

32 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

The biggest surprises to me are (1) Cedric Mullins and Dwight Smith, Jr. making the roster, (2) John Means on the IL and (3) no third catcher.

With Mullins on the roster, I don't see how Smith plays much, and I think Smith should be the one to go when Mountcastle arrives. Presumably Mullins will be the top option for late inning pinch-running and defensive replacement (mostly of Stewart). Mullins is the backup centerfielder, with Velazquez as the third centerfielder. Smith is probably the starter when Santander or Stewart get days off (until Mountcastle arrives), but with Stewart and Smith both lefties, and Santander a switch hitter (although he did bat better against lefties last year), he doesn't complement the existing outfielders the way Mountcastle will.

When the roster drops to 28 and Mountcastle is added, I would expect a pitcher, one of Valaika or Velazquez and one of Smith or Mullins to be dropped. 

Hess is probably the first pitcher to go when rosters decrease or when Means and Harvey are ready, though Sulser, Lakins, and Phillips probably shouldn't be too comfortable either.

Sulser is a keeper IMO.

[SteveA]

8 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Biggest surprise for me is Herrera did not make the cut.

It's clear they didn't seem to want to lose anyone off the 40 yet.   Which is something you talked about but a lot of us didn't believe, that they would put such value on 40 man guys.   It looks like you were right and we were wrong.

Guys already on the 40 man roster definitely seemed to have an edge:  Hess, Phillips, Mullins.

Guys who would have to be added to the 40 didn't:  Herrera, Valdez, Eshelman, Mason Williams.

 

[SteveA]

And here is the 21 man Bowie minor league camp, which is our "minor league" system for now (there are 56 guys on the 60 man list so we could add up to 4 more guys here, and really 6 because Blach and Wilkerson are technically still on the 60 man list but are done for the season).  Guys not on the 40 man roster are noted as NR.

Keegan Akin
Michael Baumann  NR
Taylor Davis  NR
Yusniel Diaz  NR
Thomas Eshelman  NR
DL Hall  NR
Eric Hanhold  NR
Dilson Herrera  NR
Bryan Holoday  NR
Brendan Kline  NR
Dean Kremer  
Isaac Mattson  NR
Ryan Mountcastle
Chandler Shepherd  NR
Adley Rutschman  NR
Ramon Urias
Cesar Valdez  NR
Hecor Velazquez
Austin Wynns
Mason Williams  NR
Rob Zastrzyny  NR

[VaBird1]

35 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Guess Sisco's arm is feeling better.

If a catcher gets hurt in a home game, Bowie is just down the road.   In a road game they will have a taxi squad of 3 guys from Bowie travelling with the team in case they need to make an injury move.   A C (Holoday or Wins), a hitter (probably Herrera), and a pitcher.

Kind of surprised that Hess and Phillips made the team, I guess they really didn't want to lose someone off the 40 man to put a Valdez or Eshelman on the roster.

Roch said Holaday is on the taxi squad, Wynns is going to Bowie.

[MurphDogg]

11 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Sulser is a keeper IMO.

I like what I have seen and heard, but he is still a 30 year-old reliever with 7 and a third MLB innings. He shouldn't be signing any long term leases.

[wildcard]

11 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

I like what I have seen and heard, but he is still a 30 year-old reliever with 7 and a third MLB innings. He shouldn't be signing any long term leases.

Leblanc is 35,  Bleier and Milone are 33,  Wojo is 31,  Givens and Iglesias are 30.  Sulser being 30 should not be a problem this year.  Not if he pitches well.

[VaBird1]

Does today count as a day for the 10 day IL?

[MurphDogg]

Just now, VaBird1 said:

Does today count as a day for the 10 day IL?

Looks like it.

[Enjoy Terror]

Looks like Brandon Bailey also made the Opening Day roster.

Just goes to show that the Orioles have too much pitching and the Astros, not enough.

[NCRaven]

1 minute ago, VaBird1 said:

Does today count as a day for the 10 day IL?

Thought I saw that IL assignments could be backdated to Monday the 20th, as well.  Minor surprise that Eshelman didn't make it.

 

[MurphDogg]

18 hours ago, VaBird1 said:

Does today count as a day for the 10 day IL?

The 20th is the back-date day, so any player on the 10-day IL that didn't play in an exhibition game is eligible to come off on July 30. If they played in an exhibition game, the IL stunt can be backdated to the last game they played.

[wildcard]

6 minutes ago, VaBird1 said:

Does today count as a day for the 10 day IL?

MLB.com says Players may be placed on the 10-day injured list "retroactively," meaning the stint is backdated to the day after the last date on which the player appeared in a game.

I think Means last pitched on July 12th.    Its unclear how far he can be backdated.  I think its pretty clear that Means was not included on the 30 man roster because Elias didn't want him to count again the active roster.    Hyde has said that he thinks Means has a good chance to start vs the Marlins.   I think that is still a good projection.