The Big Board is updated as soon as every change happens so keep an eye on it as spring training winds down and then as the minor league teams set up their rosters.
Bergmann, Bray, Gryboski, and Hughes are the only pitchers in camp (besides Lawrence, Ayala, and Drese who are still being counted) not in the 11 that have recently begun to be presumed to make the Opening Day roster. Those eleven: SP: Patterson, Livan, Ortiz, Astacio, Armas RP: Cordero, F-Rod, Majewski, Stanton, Eischen, Rauch If Eischen isn’t ready, one of the 4 pitchers listed above may take his spot.
25th man competition: Backup Catcher (Wiki vs. Castillo), LeCroy, Jackson, Anderson, Byrd have 5 of 6 bench slots pretty much locked up. I am presuming Fick and Guzman start the year on the DL and Clayton takes Guzman’s starting spot.
That leaves: The loser of the Watson/Church race vs. a 12th pitcher vs. Brendan Harris vs. Michael Tucker vs. Daryle Ward in a competition for the 25th man on the roster.
I don’t think that the loser of the Watson/Church race needs to be sitting on a bench. They need to be starting somewhere. Watson has had a good spring, but Church may make it on his major league experience. The likelihood of Soriano resigning with the Nats is slim, so there is still a high possibility that he’ll be traded before July 31 (or maybe we keep him and take the draft pick(s) when he signs elsewhere). In that event, the loser of this race should be ready to step right into Soriano’s spot in the outfield.
I don’t think there’s any reason to carry a 12th pitcher at this point. With Damian Jackson and Marlon Anderson (and Robert Fick soon enough), there really is not a reason to carry a 5th outfielder. Especially when Tucker’s contract is not guaranteed. Daryle Ward is superfluous at this point, but it’d be nice to have him in the system.
Drumroll… that leaves Brendan Harris as hopefully the 25th man on the team. His presence allows Jackson to be used in the outfield more freely.
38 guys left in camp, so 13 have to be axed. I presume 5 will start the year on the DL, the 4 pitchers currently not set to make the team, the losers of the 25th man competition, and the loser of Castillo vs. Wiki are those 13.
Sam | 24-Mar-06 at 10:33 am | Permalink
Thanks for your great site and esp. for running the Big Board, a great look across the whole system. I made a small donation to the NO fund you link in recognition of your work. Hope others do so too.
Brian J Oliver | 24-Mar-06 at 10:52 am | Permalink
Thank you Sam. Scott deserves the HUGE H/T for the Big Board. But thank you more for donating to the B/G Club of New Orleans.
Kirkie | 24-Mar-06 at 2:11 pm | Permalink
Yup, many thanks on the board - will be looking at it eagerly in a week to 10 days to see how the system shapes up.
One thing on your 25th man - think that Harris has no options left; but Watson (and Church) do. So I reckon Byrd and Harris will make the 25 man; Church will also but will be wrongly used, and Watson will go down. And pout. And hit .270 with little OBP or SLG.