If Major League Baseball is indeed able to begin a season later this summer, teams are expected to be allowed 29-man rosters for the first month of the truncated campaign, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link).
It’s a sensible temporary solution in light of the fact that clubs wouldn’t be afforded the traditional six-week run-up to the season that Spring Training provides. Permitting all 30 clubs to carry an extra three players — standard roster size was already slated to expand from 25 to 26 this season — will help clubs to manage pitcher workloads early in the year. And, with the expected addition of frequent doubleheaders, an extra player or two on the bench would allow managers to more easily rest regulars who are dealing with minor injuries or simply need a breather.
Whether the league would place any restrictions on the number of pitchers isn’t yet known, but clubs had previously been capped at a maximum of 13 pitchers. It’s also not clear whether a 30th player would be permissible on the day of a twin bill (as was the case in allowing a 26th man in previous seasons). The specifics of roster expansion and the format of a rebooted “spring” training are among the many items that still need to be hammered out even after MLB and the MLBPA reached an agreement on service time, player salaries and the 2020 draft last night.
Only a month? That’s not long enough. Two months at a minimum..
its probably just a solution that makes it so that spring can be shorter while allowing guys to ramp up during the first month. one should be enough for that presuming a 2-3 week spring training.
Two week spring training + 4 weeks of expanded rosters = original 6 week spring training
Noice
Noice
Just make it an even 30 and let the teams construct their own rosters, instead of placing positional limits.
Agreed, there are some teams, like ATL – whose AAA team is a 40-min drive from their stadium in Gwinnett to Truist Park – so they can have a game-time turnaround in roster maneuvering that many other teams have to factor in travel times (i.e. Nationals AAA team is Fresno (CA) Grizzlies).
I don’t care how many players are allowed on the roster. Just play baseball.
Selfish and ignorant.
I want baseball to start. Don’t you?
hey prov – ignore Monty. He’s just an automatic sourpuss.
Yeah, I’ve experienced his ridiculousness before.
If baseball starts, millions will die. No, I do not want any sports until 2021.
@pinkerton, you coward, how do you that posters parents arent both in comas right now? Dont EVER call out another poster like that again, scumbag. Get some empathy.
Strike – “If baseball starts, millions will die.”
What facts are you basing that on?
None. No facts Fourski has a knack for falsehoods.
Apparently, as evidenced by his lack of response.
Strike four, it’s just poor wording. He’s not literally suggesting that baseball itself would be the cause of millions of deaths (I don’t think), just that the country/world shifting stances to allow things like baseball games could have that result.
Welp, then he should come out and explain that. “If baseball starts, millions will die” is a very concise statement with no facts to back it up.
And furthermore, millions will not die from coronavirus even if life went back to normal today. By all factual reports, the symptoms are mild to moderate and will feel like having a cold or the flu. The only people at risk of death are those who are already compromised with other illnesses, which is no different than the seasonal flu. The hysteria has to stop.
He told me to catch Coronavirus. After laughing for about a minute I realized his problem isn’t poor wording. He isn’t what you would consider a ‘deep thinker’.
I have empathy!
Calm down. Have a whiskey.
what are you talking about?
Besides, there aren’t four strikes in baseball. You got your terms mixed up.
Prov356, I’m not going to jump on board the more alarmist tone of our friend strike four, but this silly concept that this is nbd and a product of media hysteria is laughably wrong for numerous, factual, verifiable reasons. I do envy you, though. Wish I still lived in a non-NY world where this wasn’t flipping life upside down.
Yeah srechter, if you live in NY, your situation is more compressed so I empathize with you. But if you look at the facts, coronavirus is truly similar in symptoms to a cold or the flu. No one, including me, has said it is no big deal. But I don’t think it’s a bigger deal than the seasonal flu because I haven’t seen any evidence that it is, just media and political hype.
During the 2017/2018 flu season, approximately 80,000 people died from the flu: statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/
Why not similar hysteria?
That’s not true, younger people are are healthy have been getting seriously ill. Countries are going to quarantine and shut down for a regular flu.
Tank51 – ” younger people are are healthy have been getting seriously ill” Please provide a report from a credible source that substantiates that statement. The overwhelming reporting is that the only people who are at risk of serious illness or death are the elderly or those who already have an existing condition that reduces their immune system or respiratory function.
Watch the 3rd most trending video on YouTube.
Tank51 – just because something is “trending” on Youtube, it doesn’t mean it’s credible unless you can then substantiate the sources used to produce the Youtube video, which you can’t. What is your credible source? If it’s your Youtube video, then that’s not credible.
There was one report of 17 year old boy dying of corona, however, it was later reported that he probably died of something else: cnn.com/2020/03/26/health/california-teen-coronavi…
Corona virus is roughly 20x plus deadlier than the normal flu.
The problem we are about to see is hospitals will being able to handle the massive influx of new patients, both young and old.
Right now hospitals seem to be handling cases. The issue they are seeing are low supplies which will cause those skilled workers to get sick.
Also, the numbers keep rising parabolically. You are seeing 10x more cases every 10 to 14 days. In two weeks we are on pace to see 10x the number of cases we currently have. 10x. 20% of those patients will need some form of hospitalization and support. This is when things get very very bad.
This virus growth is not slowing down and will continue to get worse in the very near future.
This is why there is hype.
You obviously did it watch the video, it was posted by The NY Times about the experiences of a nurse in New York.
I want it to start too. I am with prov here
Oh millions … that is a lot Strike Four. All because of baseball huh?
The same facts StrikeFour always has … NONE!
Yes he literally said millions will die
Trending on you tube only means … well … nothing
Always projecting your inadequacies onto others. Sad.
No it was not selfish or ignorant. Cannot say the same for your comment dynamite drop
I wonder if some of the players that were optioned last night are going to get a call up for opening day. Teams have had to known about this roster expansion, they won’t want to waste an option on players for no reason
I bet Elias doesn’t feel so good about giving up on his rule 5 guys so fast right now
Rule 5 guys are really happy right now (the ones who haven’t been returned that is). This will give clubs a full month to evaluate Rule 5 guys; a luxury never before afforded. Now let’s hope we can get this under control so we can resume some semblance of a normal life again, including Major League Baseball!
Is there any chance they can play two seven inning double headers? The games are far too long anyways and will only make more people sick.
Works in independent minor leagues.
Have no idea when we’ll be able to start the season, but glad baseball is planning now for an eventual return to play.
Should be a 30 man roster anyway
I’d love to know what happens if a player(s) contract the virus
Well, I’m not sure, but I guess they would go lay down at home and get better then get ready to play baseball.
They had better be at home when they contract the virus otherwise there’s going to be lots of other players staying home as a Precaution.
With the draft shortened to five rounds, the trashcan men take a bit more of a hit (ha,ha).
They should play double headers to get caught up and have at least 30 players 15 pitchers and 15 hitters
Moot point. There won’t, and shouldn’t be, a 2020 season.
There WON’T be a season? Really? We are still in March. Even if life doesn’t get back to normal until June, you can still play a shortened season.
Keep it forever