With Opening Day nearly upon us, here are a few of the notable roster decisions from around the game …
- Right-hander Wes Parsons and non-roster invitees Matt Joyce and Josh Tomlin have made the Braves’ Opening Day roster, the team announced to reporters today (Twitter link via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Meanwhile, as The Athletic’s David O’Brien writes, Bryse Wilson and Kyle Wright will be a part of Atlanta’s rotation to begin the season. That makes for quite an interesting and unexpected collection of roster pieces. The club is waiting to finalize its roster completely while evaluating external options.
- Right-hander Trent Thornton, whom the Blue Jays acquired in exchange for Aledmys Diaz this winter, will be Toronto’s fourth starter to open the season, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets. Fellow righty Sam Gaviglio will open the year as a long man in the bullpen. In other decisions for the Jays, also via Davidi, the club has decided to keep Rule 5 righty Elvis Luciano despite some rocky moments this spring. Southpaw Thomas Pannone and infielder Richard Urena are also heading north, with the team’s final roster spot still up for grabs. It may go to Bud Norris if he’s ready, says Davidi, with the team also pondering Javy Guerra while eyeing outside possibilities.
- The Tigers have informed righty Spencer Turnbull that he’ll be in the rotation to begin the season, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports. He took that job over lefty Daniel Norris, who’ll open the year in the bullpen. Norris will work in a long capacity, with the goal being to keep him stretched out in case a starting spot comes open. Turnbull, 26, earned the nod with an excellent spring showing: 15 frames of 1.80 ERA pitching with 15 strikeouts and just a pair of walks. The former second-round pick reached the big leagues briefly last year, but spent most of his ’18 season at Double-A. He pitched to a 4.47 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 98 2/3 innings over 19 starts at the penultimate level of the minors.
- In one of the better stories of Spring Training, Ryne Harper has made the Twins’ Opening Day roster, as manager Rocco Baldelli recently announced (Twitter link via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Harper, who turns thirty today, enjoyed a terrific spring with the Twins and will now have the opportunity to pitch in his first big league game after grinding through eight minor league seasons. The call to the big leagues for Harper is surely sweetened by the fact that he’s come as close to making his big league debut as possible in the past; the Mariners selected Harper’s contract back in 2017 but optioned him back to Triple-A before he ever appeared in a game. He was outrighted before ever being summoned back to the big leagues.
“…soon-to-be 30-year-old Ryne Harper has made the Twins’ Opening Day roster,”
“Soon-to-be” as in today! What a cool “present” to receive.
If you are going to have to wait until age 30 to make a big league debut, on your birthday and opening a season if the way to do it.
Blue Jays might as well keep Luciano. It’s not they’ll even grab a wild card or anything close to that.
I would agree as long as he shows elite talent. If he is going to be another also rand “good” player then no send him back.
He’s a teenager still developing. You won’t see any elite from Luciano. However, he’s in the perfect situation; bad team, not contending. Keep him around. May as well.
I don’t understand Joyce on this team at all
What’s to not understand? He’s better then Duvall.
I’m better than Duvall. Another lefty outfielder doesn’t make any sense though.
So he can give Acuna some days off….
He’s a great platoon bat off the bench. He likely won’t play in the field all that much.
The Braves have used plug-ins players off the bench for years but with the current roster the hope has got to be that most of their starters will play 150 or so games. To that end, they simply don’t need full-time platoon guys right now. They need specific game situation hitters that are not an absolute liability in the field. Think Matt Adams after Freddie came back.
I’d like to think there are better options out there more fit to serve as the braves fourth outfielder than Matt Joyce
I vote to turn Comergo in to super utility and go that route
Comargo is an infielder, what do they do when they need an oufielder…just send him out there? I don’t think so.
Yes. It’s the same thing they did with Culberson and are doing with Riley. Versatility is key and allows teams to carry an extra pitcher.
Isn’t Duvall still on the team? I think Camacho and Culbertson can handle 5th OFER duties. It’s not like Matt Joyce is winning any gold gloves in the OF.
It’s also similar to the Chris Taylor on the dodgers route
He’s opening the season in AAA.
Camargo is perfectly capable of playing OF and will be a defensive replacement if they need him.
I think the tigers should offer Keuchel a contract after the draft pick is lost. It will be a lost season for him, but he should be ready for 2020. Tigers don’t need him this year anyway. It would give them a solid lefty starter to guide their young starters coming up. Zim will be in his final season next year, so we need a veteran leader. Fulmer… will be rehabbing in 20, and should be an option in 21. Mize and manning should be in the rotation in 21. That should be a strong rotation.
The Braves should…
have been much more prepared.
Yes, but a lot of other teams will be in on Keuchel once they will no longer face the loss of a draft pick. I like your thinking, but other teams will value him much higher than the Tigers.
Mize and Manning should be in the rotation all of 2021 plus Fulmer plus Franklin Perez, and likely Beau Burrows and/or Kyle Funkhouser. As a Tiger fan, I’m optimistic about 2022 and beyond, but depressed about 2019 (2020 will be a trough year as the youngsters learn and make mistakes, and 2021 will start to show a little promise).
The Ryne Harper type stories are the ones I love. Perseverance pays off. Good luck Ryne!
For the Braves… For them to start the season with inexperienced prospects tells you how important it is to go into the season with a number of proven starters. It would have been great if they got their #1 or even a #2 or #3 for that matter. The only thing I can say is that by giving the younger guys chances they might just develop (hard to develop pitchers if you don’t let them pitch — in the majors). Funny I say that right? But there’s always a silver lining to everything, but this doesn’t bode well for season starting out this poorly. Good luck making the playoffs this year…
Don’t worry bad Braves fan they will make the playoffs.
they still have teheran and gausman(?) starting . not #1s or #2s but they are experienced vets
Wow look at Ryne Harper’s minor league statline! Talk about a long path to the bigs! Congrats, look forward to seeing you pitch at Target Field this season!
Harper has seemingly pitched well since becoming a pro. Probably deserved a shot 5 years ago. At least.
Did Danny Barnes have an off-field situation last season? Or has he been written off because he’s been in the organization? Not saying he should be the 25th man, just pointing out that he’s not being considered and probably should be.
ERA, WHIP, FIP, BB/9, all ballooned in 2018. Hard pass on Danny Barnes.
Uh yeah, Javy Guerra was every bit as bad in 2018. Daniel Hudson hasn’t been good in a few years. Anyway, stay ignorant my friend.
i think Javy Guerra could become a strong BP piece again if given the chance.
Not a fan of Joyce. I think we need to bring back Matt Diaz or Slim Shady – name escapes me…the skinny left-handed outfielder that got busted for illegal substance.
Jordan Schafer
Otis Nixon?
I think Spencer Turnbull will do good this year.
Wonder if the Jays would give Jordan Romano a spot on the 40 man roster if he produces early in Buffalo. Decent 2018 in AA and didn’t look too bad in Spring Training, although that doesn’t say much i suppose.