The following 40-man roster players have less than five years service time and are out of minor league options. That means they must clear waivers before being sent to the minors, so the team would be at risk of losing them in attempting to do so. I’ve included players on multiyear deals. This list was compiled through MLBTR’s sources. Today, we’ll take a look at the AL Central.
White Sox: Maikel Cleto, Conor Gillaspie, Javy Guerra, Dan Jennings, Hector Noesi
The White Sox claimed Cleto off waivers from the Royals in February 2014, removing him from their 40-man roster in May and re-adding him in August. He and Guerra are among those vying for a couple of spots in the team’s revamped bullpen, which features new additions David Robertson, Zach Duke, and Jennings. Opening the season with an eight-man pen is possible. In a Saturday post, Jim Margalus of South Side Sox ranked Cleto ahead of Guerra.
Indians: Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, Nick Hagadone, Zach McAllister, Brandon Moss
Carrasco and Bauer have rotation spots locked down for the Indians. McAllister is competing with a pool of others for two open spots, with Gavin Floyd’s injury creating an opening. About a month ago, Indians manager Terry Francona implied McAllister will make the club, either as a starter or reliever. Also about a month ago, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian described Hagadone as a “virtual lock” for the Tribe’s pen.
Tigers: Jose Iglesias, Hernan Perez, Andrew Romine
Perez and Romine were thought to be in competition for one bench spot, writes James Schmehl of Mlive.com, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said recently the team could break camp with both on the roster. If healthy, Iglesias will be the everyday shortstop.
Royals: Louis Coleman, Jarrod Dyson, Erik Kratz
Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star broke down the Royals’ bullpen situation yesterday. Relievers Greg Holland, Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Jason Frasor, and Chris Young are locked into a pen that could break camp with eight. At present, it seems likely they’ll be able to find a spot for Coleman.
As McCullough noted in an earlier article, Kratz is competing with Francisco Pena for the backup catcher job. He feels that the 34-year-old Kratz is a better fit for the gig than Pena, who is 25. Dyson will be the team’s fourth outfielder.
Twins: Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, Trevor Plouffe, Jordan Schafer
Escobar seems assured a utility infield job on the team, but Nunez’s status is uncertain. A trade seems possible. Schafer’s all but certain to be Minnesota’s fourth outfielder.
