SURPRISE PITCHERS EMERGE
Almost everyone we asked said they believe that some pitchers will benefit from the reduction in the total number of arms each team can carry. A later-round pick or less-touted international signee who would have been slotted into a low-leverage relief role in the past will get to either start or jump into a tandem-starter role under the new roster restrictions, because teams will need them to handle more innings.
Given a chance to start and work more consistently, some of those pitchers will prove they are worthy of a larger role. Some may develop a pitch that they wouldn’t have gotten a chance to work on in a smaller role. Others will stand out because of their ability to shoulder a heavier workload without seeing their stuff diminish.
The change should give some pitchers a chance to shine.
MORE TANDEM STARTERS
Using piggyback starters in Class A has become more popular in recent years. The idea is to have two pitchers each work four to five innings an outing and usually alternating who starts and who enters in the middle innings. Using tandem starters keeps any young pitcher from logging too many pitches in a start, but it allows a team to keep more pitchers on a starter’s development track.
This year, it will also be a potentially useful way to cover innings.
PARTNER LEAGUERS IN DEMAND
Pretty much everyone expects the partner leagues will become a robust source of stretched-out and available arms if a team gets crushed by injuries. Less charitably, some also admit that these are the pitchers who will most likely be asked to carry heavier work loads to fill necessary innings to ensure the team’s best prospects aren’t overworked.
VERSATILE POSITION PLAYERS
Multiple teams said they expect to carry an extra pitcher (or two) on minor league rosters, especially early in the season. That will in many cases mean that teams will carry one or even two fewer position players. The player who can play anywhere on the field will have more value as a farm director’s friend by filling holes whenever and wherever they arise.
FEWER PLAYERS GET CUT IN SPRING TRAINING '
A quirk of the new rules is that players cannot be moved to the 60-day injured list until mid March. If a team has 10 or more players slated to move to the 60-day IL, then the drop from an offseason limit of 175 players to an in-season one of 165 players could largely be handled by those IL moves. In the past, teams came to camp with 15 to 20 extra players who had to be cut before Opening Day, but now there’s no need to make significant spring training cuts. And with teams worried about covering innings and at-bats in case of injuries in April—before partner leagues start up in May to provide another source of reinforcements—players who may have been cut in the past will be kept around as roster insurance.
PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY
We’ll have to see if this prediction comes true, but some coaches suggested the new roster limits could play a role in helping reduce the trend toward pitchers throwing fewer and fewer innings while emphasizing strikeouts.
“The sinker is going to make a comeback because you have to get quick and easy outs,” one pitching coach said. “It’s been all four-seam fastballs, power curveballs and sliders and no constraints. So many pitches and games were played a particular way. Now you may need to sneak outs quickly. We'll see the comeback of the changeup and sinker. We're all going to see the rollover ground ball on the second pitch of an at-bat as a positive."
FAREWELL TO THE ORG CATCHER
In the past, many teams have carried an extra catcher or two on the roster who served in a role much like a hockey team's emergency goalie. The catcher might travel with the Triple-A team or stay back in the complex. Unless there was an injury or spot created by a promotion, they wouldn't be on the active roster. But they were around to catch bullpens-or catch rehabbing pitchers at the complex-and handle some of the grunt work to keep the regular catchers from wearing out.
There's still a need for catchers to handle these jobs, but with spots on the 165-player roster at a premium, those jobs may turn into seasonal staff positions where a recent college catcher is hired to handle the role, without ever being signed as a minor league player.
THE DEVELOPMENTAL LIST WITHERS
In recent years, many organizations have made liberal use of the developmental list. Teams are allowed to take a player off the active roster to work on adding a new pitch, tweaking a swing or becoming proficient at a new po...
Almost everyone we asked said they believe that some pitchers will benefit from the reduction in the total number of arms each team can carry. A later-round pick or less-touted international signee who would have been slotted into a low-leverage relief role in the past will get to either start or jump into a tandem-starter role under the new roster restrictions, because teams will need them to handle more innings.
Given a chance to start and work more consistently, some of those pitchers will prove they are worthy of a larger role. Some may develop a pitch that they wouldn’t have gotten a chance to work on in a smaller role. Others will stand out because of their ability to shoulder a heavier workload without seeing their stuff diminish.
The change should give some pitchers a chance to shine.
MORE TANDEM STARTERS
Using piggyback starters in Class A has become more popular in recent years. The idea is to have two pitchers each work four to five innings an outing and usually alternating who starts and who enters in the middle innings. Using tandem starters keeps any young pitcher from logging too many pitches in a start, but it allows a team to keep more pitchers on a starter’s development track.
This year, it will also be a potentially useful way to cover innings.
PARTNER LEAGUERS IN DEMAND
Pretty much everyone expects the partner leagues will become a robust source of stretched-out and available arms if a team gets crushed by injuries. Less charitably, some also admit that these are the pitchers who will most likely be asked to carry heavier work loads to fill necessary innings to ensure the team’s best prospects aren’t overworked.
VERSATILE POSITION PLAYERS
Multiple teams said they expect to carry an extra pitcher (or two) on minor league rosters, especially early in the season. That will in many cases mean that teams will carry one or even two fewer position players. The player who can play anywhere on the field will have more value as a farm director’s friend by filling holes whenever and wherever they arise.
FEWER PLAYERS GET CUT IN SPRING TRAINING '
A quirk of the new rules is that players cannot be moved to the 60-day injured list until mid March. If a team has 10 or more players slated to move to the 60-day IL, then the drop from an offseason limit of 175 players to an in-season one of 165 players could largely be handled by those IL moves. In the past, teams came to camp with 15 to 20 extra players who had to be cut before Opening Day, but now there’s no need to make significant spring training cuts. And with teams worried about covering innings and at-bats in case of injuries in April—before partner leagues start up in May to provide another source of reinforcements—players who may have been cut in the past will be kept around as roster insurance.
PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY
We’ll have to see if this prediction comes true, but some coaches suggested the new roster limits could play a role in helping reduce the trend toward pitchers throwing fewer and fewer innings while emphasizing strikeouts.
“The sinker is going to make a comeback because you have to get quick and easy outs,” one pitching coach said. “It’s been all four-seam fastballs, power curveballs and sliders and no constraints. So many pitches and games were played a particular way. Now you may need to sneak outs quickly. We'll see the comeback of the changeup and sinker. We're all going to see the rollover ground ball on the second pitch of an at-bat as a positive."
FAREWELL TO THE ORG CATCHER
In the past, many teams have carried an extra catcher or two on the roster who served in a role much like a hockey team's emergency goalie. The catcher might travel with the Triple-A team or stay back in the complex. Unless there was an injury or spot created by a promotion, they wouldn't be on the active roster. But they were around to catch bullpens-or catch rehabbing pitchers at the complex-and handle some of the grunt work to keep the regular catchers from wearing out.
There's still a need for catchers to handle these jobs, but with spots on the 165-player roster at a premium, those jobs may turn into seasonal staff positions where a recent college catcher is hired to handle the role, without ever being signed as a minor league player.
THE DEVELOPMENTAL LIST WITHERS
In recent years, many organizations have made liberal use of the developmental list. Teams are allowed to take a player off the active roster to work on adding a new pitch, tweaking a swing or becoming proficient at a new po...
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Baseball America (Digital) - 1 Issue, March/April 2024