O's early guess at a playoff roster for first series...

[EERinthe804]

Infield (8) - Rutschman, McCann, O'Hearn, Holliday, Henderson, Mayo, Westburg, Jimenez/Urias

Outfield (5) - Mullins, Santander, Cowser, Kjerstad, Slater

Starting Pitching (4) - Burnes, Eflin, Suarez, G-Rod

Relief Pitching (9) - Kremer, Webb, Coulombe, Perez, Cano, Akin, Dominguez, Bowman, Soto  

 

Missed Cut:  Urias likely still injured, Mountcastle likely still injured, Livan Soto, Cade Povich, Burch Smith, Craig Kimbrel

 

Any changes?

[Warehouse]

Rivera is a lock.  Urias may be back.  Comes down to Mayo vs Jimenez for last spot (or may be more likely to drop Bowman/Soto for an extra bat).

[EERinthe804]

They must have 13 pitchers and 13 hitters on the 26-man, is my understanding.

[MDK02]

If Soto keeps playing well, do they keep him and maybe let Mayo off?

[bpilktree67]

10 minutes ago, EERinthe804 said:

They must have 13 pitchers and 13 hitters on the 26-man, is my understanding.

They had 12 pitchers and 14 hitters last year. 

[EERinthe804]

6 minutes ago, bpilktree67 said:

They had 12 pitchers and 14 hitters last year. 

OK, I must've read the guidelines wrong...if that's true, I agree maybe another hitter and 1 less pitcher

Edited Tuesday at 14:50 by EERinthe804

[e16bball]

19 minutes ago, EERinthe804 said:

They must have 13 pitchers and 13 hitters on the 26-man, is my understanding.

That’s a regular season rule, it’s eliminated for the playoffs. 

I think everybody will carry at least 14 hitters. The question in the 3-game WC series that we presently seem ticketed for is whether you carry 15 hitters. 

Sorta seems like if you need more than 11 pitchers for a 2-3 game series, odds are you lost anyway. 

[Aristotelian]

29 minutes ago, EERinthe804 said:

Infield (8) - Rutschman, McCann, O'Hearn, Holliday, Henderson, Mayo, Westburg, Jimenez/Urias

Outfield (5) - Mullins, Santander, Cowser, Kjerstad, Slater

Starting Pitching (4) - Burnes, Eflin, Suarez, G-Rod

Relief Pitching (9) - Kremer, Webb, Coulombe, Perez, Cano, Akin, Dominguez, Bowman, Soto  

 

Missed Cut:  Urias likely still injured, Mountcastle likely still injured, Livan Soto, Cade Povich, Burch Smith, Craig Kimbrel

 

Any changes?

Roch said Urias was in the "matter of when, not if" group. He should make it over Jimenez or Mayo. Based on playing time patterns I have to think Jimenez gets it over Mayo.

Seems like Grayson is not going to have time to stretch out so Kremer might get a fourth start in an ALDS. But Grayson could piggy back in a wild card game should Suarez get in trouble.

[MCO'sFan]

31 minutes ago, EERinthe804 said:

Infield (8) - Rutschman, McCann, O'Hearn, Holliday, Henderson, Mayo, Westburg, Jimenez/Urias

Outfield (5) - Mullins, Santander, Cowser, Kjerstad, Slater

Starting Pitching (4) - Burnes, Eflin, Suarez, G-Rod

Relief Pitching (9) - Kremer, Webb, Coulombe, Perez, Cano, Akin, Dominguez, Bowman, Soto  

 

Missed Cut:  Urias likely still injured, Mountcastle likely still injured, Livan Soto, Cade Povich, Burch Smith, Craig Kimbrel

 

Any changes?

I think they only carry 12 pitchers. It doesn't look like a lock that Westburg and GrayRod are back at least for the WC round. 

 

I like your list but I am guessing that Bowman will be the odd man out. Maybe Akin because I don't know if they carry 4 LHP?

I think Rivera is a lock so that mean either Jimenez or Mayo goes and I am guessing it's Mayo. If Urias is back then it comes down to Rivera/Jimenez and I am going to guess that Jimenez stays. 

[Aristotelian]

6 minutes ago, MCO'sFan said:

I think they only carry 12 pitchers. It doesn't look like a lock that Westburg and GrayRod are back at least for the WC round. 

 

I like your list but I am guessing that Bowman will be the odd man out. Maybe Akin because I don't know if they carry 4 LHP?

I think Rivera is a lock so that mean either Jimenez or Mayo goes and I am guessing it's Mayo. If Urias is back then it comes down to Rivera/Jimenez and I am going to guess that Jimenez stays. 

Good point about 12 pitchers. However, Roch said Grayson and Westburg will be back in the regular season. If they go to 12 pitchers, that means Jimenez and Mayo probably both make it. 

One more thing, I don't think Holliday is a lock to make it. If we're being honest, both Rivera and Soto are outplaying him. 

If Westburg and Urias make it back as Roch suggested, our infield would be pretty much matchup proof and we would not need pinch hitters. The bench would be there to pinch hit for O'Hearn. In that case, Rivera might have value as the backup 1B. 

[e16bball]

I think there will be some consideration given to bringing along Forrest Wall as a designated pinch-runner, especially for the short WC series.

Atlanta carried him for their NLDS series against the Phillies last year, and he got into two of the games. Once, inexplicably, as an actual pinch-hitter.

I don’t know that I’m convinced he has the mega-speed to warrant a roster spot just as a runner. But he did steal 50+ bags in AAA in 2022 and 2023, and he’s stolen 9 bases in 31 career ML games — so he’s probably the best pure runner we’ve got at AAA or higher.

Especially in the very short WC series, I think it’s more likely that there will be a situation where you want a pinch-runner — for a steal or for guys like Anthony, Eloy, even Adley — than that there will be a situation where you need 5 different pinch-hitters. 

[Warehouse]

A key question is whether we platoon Kjerstad at DH or not.  If not, then Jimenez role will be fairly limited.  The versatility of Mayo or even Garrett Cooper to play the field may outweigh any perceived advantages of Eloy for the role of lefty mashing pinch hit specialist.

I could also see us adding Forrest Wall.  Otherwise, if we start Slater vs Ragans, then pinch-hit Mullins/Cowser when RHP reliever, and then Mullins/Cowser come up to bat against Kris Bubic in the 8th, we couldn’t pinch-hit with Mayo/Eloy without seriously compromising our outfield defense.  Wall also gives us a pinch runner.

The Royals batters skew righty so I do think we’ll need to drop one of Akin, Soto, or Perez.  Probably Akin but I’m torn.

Edited Tuesday at 15:29 by Warehouse

[Just Regular]

15 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Good point about 12 pitchers. However, Roch said Grayson and Westburg will be back in the regular season. If they go to 12 pitchers, that means Jimenez and Mayo probably both make it. 

That roster spot could also be Forrest Wall, or personal fave concept EBJ.

Obviously Holliday and Mayo are bad recent results on talent manifesting, but I've heard it said defense and baserunning don't slump.

Postseason best on best, the guy who can do the job 80% as well for 20% of the cost is also more likely to lose.

[MurphDogg]

57 minutes ago, e16bball said:

I think there will be some consideration given to bringing along Forrest Wall as a designated pinch-runner, especially for the short WC series.

Atlanta carried him for their NLDS series against the Phillies last year, and he got into two of the games. Once, inexplicably, as an actual pinch-hitter.

I don’t know that I’m convinced he has the mega-speed to warrant a roster spot just as a runner. But he did steal 50+ bags in AAA in 2022 and 2023, and he’s stolen 9 bases in 31 career ML games — so he’s probably the best pure runner we’ve got at AAA or higher.

Especially in the very short WC series, I think it’s more likely that there will be a situation where you want a pinch-runner — for a steal or for guys like Anthony, Eloy, even Adley — than that there will be a situation where you need 5 different pinch-hitters. 

Mateo could have that spot too, if they trusted him more as a baserunner than Wall and they don't want EBJ to take up a 40-man roster spot all of next season. No reason you can't carry someone as exclusively a pinch runner if you have a 5-man bench.

[Bleed Orange]

Mateo had elbow surgery, is out for the year.