The Need to Build a Bullpen Quickly Will Force Tough, Potentially Unpopular Decisions

[Riverbrian]

On 11/15/2025 at 12:56 PM, jorgenswest said:

I think they need to take the best 12 arms and at this point it looks like many of those 12 were starters last year.

Start with this concept and figure it out from there. 

[Riverbrian]

This week will be interesting and full of direction clues. 

Tomorrow we will find out who gets 40 man spots. In the days leading up to the setting of the 40 man roster... you often see trades.

There are currently 33 players on the 40 man. 

14 of the 33 are Pitchers: 9 of those 14 pitchers have been utilized as starters leading up to this season. Teams typically have 22-23 pitchers on a 40 man roster. Therefore... around 8 pitchers will need to be eventually added to the 40 man... bullpen candidates a high priority. 

19 Players on the current 40 man roster are position players. If 22-23 are typically pitchers.

18 is about where you want to be so they are currently overstaffed on this side of the ledger. 

3 of those 19 are considered catchers if you shove Gasper into that box. 

7 would be considered IF

9 would be considered OF. 

Seth Stohs who knows (Rhyme unintentional) the minor leagues as well as anyone. He thinks that 4 Pitchers and 2 outfielders are givens to be added to the 40 man. 

This would bring us to 39 players on the 40.

18 pitchers.

3 Catchers

7 IF

11 OF

These numbers don't include Rosario, Fedko or JENKINS. 

We have 4 OF too many... and around 4 short on the pitching side and I'm guessing that roster clean up this off season will need to un-lump these numbers for balance.  

 

 

[ashbury]

5 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

We have 4 OF too many... and around 4 short on the pitching side and I'm guessing that roster clean up this off season will need to un-lump these numbers for balance.  

Yes, rarely have I seen this much imbalance between pitching and position players.  And when there is, it's in the other direction due to hoarding pitchers which I can kind of sympathize with.  This hoarding of outfielders, corner ones at that, baffles me at to the long term strategery this FO has in mind.

[Riverbrian]

7 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Yes, rarely have I seen this much imbalance between pitching and position players.  And when there is, it's in the other direction due to hoarding pitchers which I can kind of sympathize with.  This hoarding of outfielders, corner ones at that, baffles me at to the long term strategery this FO has in mind.

That's part of the reason that tomorrow is such a key date. How many will be on that 40 man roster. 

The lingering presence of Keirsay and McCusker on the 40 man. 

Did they just DFA enough to get through this date? 

Are they hoping that everybody else fills up before dealing with the roster spots so they can sneak those two through? 

It's like an episodic cliff hanger.

Who Shot J.R? Tune in Tomorrow. 

Stay Tuned... We will be right back.  

[ashbury]

7 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Are they hoping that everybody else fills up before dealing with the roster spots so they can sneak those two through? 

They did such a great job at that with Laweryson. 🙃 His removal was an incremental step further toward the present imbalance - do they really have X number of better candidates stashed in their system that will fill that side of the 40-man to its customary 20 or 21 (or 22 some years)?  And was that roster spot more important than the ones held by DaShawn and Carson?

The problem with roster clearing is that the DFA/waiver process lets the other teams snap up anyone with any perceived promise at all, leaving your AAA roster with just the dregs.

[Riverbrian]

18 minutes ago, ashbury said:

They did such a great job at that with Laweryson. 🙃 His removal was an incremental step further toward the present imbalance - do they really have X number of better candidates stashed in their system that will fill that side of the 40-man to its customary 20 or 21 (or 22 some years)?  And was that roster spot more important than the ones held by DaShawn and Carson?

The problem with roster clearing is that the DFA/waiver process lets the other teams snap up anyone with any perceived promise at all, leaving your AAA roster with just the dregs.

 Someone wanted Laweryson at least temporarily. So... I guess that means there is another team out there in worse bullpen shape than us?