11:10AM: The full roster has been announced by USA Baseball (Twitter link). Beyond the names already mentioned, the roster also includes Clayton Andrews, Jonathan Bowlan, Brandon Dickson, DJ Johnson, Trevor Lane, Matthew Liberatore, Drew Parrish, Marc Rzepczynski, James Sherfy, Simeon Woods Richardson, Tim Federowicz, Mark Kolozsvary, Nick Allen, Eddy Alvarez, Logan Forsythe, Luke Williams, Eric Filia, and Jon Jay.
9:54AM: The United States Olympic baseball team will have its full roster announced later today, though MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) reports that several well-known big league names will be part of Team USA.
Right-handers Homer Bailey, Edwin Jackson, and David Robertson will be part of the pitching mix, as will left-hander Anthony Gose. Matt Kemp, Matt Wieters, and Todd Frazier are some of the veteran position players. Bailey, Kemp, and Wieters all played in the majors as recently as 2020 and didn’t sign with a new team this past offseason, while Frazier appeared in 13 games for the Pirates just this season. It was only back on May 13 that Frazier chose to become a free agent, after Pittsburgh designated him for assignment.
Beyond these experienced names, some notable youngsters will also be on the team, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe noted yesterday that Red Sox prospects Triston Casas and Jarren Duran are participating. Rays right-handed pitching prospect Joe Ryan is also expected to be part of the team, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Any player not on a current 40-man Major League roster was eligible for Team USA, though naturally a team would have to agree to allow its minor leaguers to play.
Mike Scioscia will manage Team USA, and the team will take to the field on May 31-June 5 during a qualifying tournament in Florida. The Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela are the other seven teams involved, and the winner of the tournament will automatically qualify for the Olympics. The second- and third-place finishers will advance to a final qualifying tournament against Australia, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands on June 16-20 in Mexico, and the winner of that event will claim the sixth and final Olympic berth.
Japan, Mexico, Israel, and South Korea have already qualified for the baseball event at Olympic Games, which are scheduled to be held July 23-August 6 in Tokyo. Originally set to take place in 2020, the Olympics were naturally postponed for a year due to the pandemic, and the Games are still slated to get underway in July despite a worsening COVID-19 situation in Japan.
Abraham is like a month late on that news
With the way Jarren Duran is playing in AAA, I’m not sure he’ll be able to play for Team USA. He might be needed in the majors.
Pairing a Duran call up with a Marwin DFA would make my month
Robertson is going to be so key for the pen
Hope the team has a good training staff – these major leaguers are going to keep him busy
LMAO at training staff comment! – I’m fed up with these old broke d_ _ _ k ex ML’ers and fringe minor leaguers playing in the Olympics & these tournaments – I prefer to watch enthusiastic college kids and high school talent play for the medals and prestige. – these ex mostly marginal & fringe pros have had their day in the sun.
Agree on most. Weiters and Jay were never AS at anything, how they got picked is baffling. Casas and Duran however are the opposite of fringe pros as an example. Casas is top 50 prospect and Duran a 24yo kid tearing up AAA with power and speed who probably will be in the majors by the time of the summer Olympics anyway.
Matt Wieters is a four time all star. Put some speck on his name.
Well – Every team must must be represented ……..Lol – Weiters was an All Star by default. – Anyway – As an ex ML catcher, his body is likely saying what the hell am I doing here – May be he can be a base coach?.
Is it only 40 man roster people ineligible or are people in the Japanese or Korean leagues also ineligible?
They are eligible for Olympics as the KBO and NPB will be paused. But they are probably ineligible for these qualifiers as both countries have qualified for the Olympics and won’t stop their competitions for the American qualifiers.
How did Israel already qualify?
Won the European Qualifier
Kinsler is playing on the Israeli team
Kinsler, Danny Valencia and Ty Kelly are the most recognizable names on the team, though Kelly might be lost to them if he sticks with the Mariners, who acquired his contract two days ago. Here are a few other key names:
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/sports/.premium-u-s-baseball-pros-arrive-to-claim-israeli-citizenship-qualify-for-olympics-1.8162300
That European Qualifier was prob a step below the Little League World Series
Boy this is sad. Really wish MLB would take the Olympics seriously.
Why should they? The Olympics don’t take baseball seriously.
Chance to grow the game globally. The people who watch the WBC are already baseball fans. But everyone watches the Olympics, even in small places that have never heard of baseball.
This right here. I played in the UK back when it was still in the Olympics in 2008, and as soon as it was removed it was so much harder to get any sort of funding for the sport. Which means no money for new facilities, stadiums, marketing, etc.
A lot of eyes are on the Olympics so it is a great opportunity to spread the sport far and wide.
Give me the WBC over the Olympics. Same with the World Cup.
World baseball classic better
Agree. The 2009 final between Korea and Japan was epic!
Wonder if D-Rob will be looking for a MLB deal after the Olympics. I’m guessing he didn’t have one offered after his workout earlier this season.
why do they only have 6 teams? Olympic hockey has like 10
some decent baseball countries are going to miss out
see above, the Olympics dont actually care about baseball
Lord baseball is so dumb. Sending washed up players to the Olympics yeah thats really gonna help grow the game……
The WBC is a must stronger vehicle for baseball. Plus there really is not a lot of upside, in terms of career enhancing, for American ballplayers to play. You’re more likely to be remembered for a career altering injury than winning a gold medal.
Or performing in both the MLB and the WBC in the case of David Wright. He didn’t get a medal, but he did make to 2013 All-WBC team and got the nickname “Captain America.”
I hope they consider Kris Johnson, late of the Hiroshima Carp. He’s just a year out of NPB and won the Sawamura Award a few years ago. A fan favorite in Hiroshima and a good dude too.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the US team misses out on qualifying. That mix of teams they need to get through is going to be brutal.
How did Mexico qualify separately rather than being part of the tournament with the U.S., Cuba, Canada, Colombia, etc.?
3rd place finish in Premier12.
Mexico beat USA twice in Premier12
If you are not showcasing the best athletes in the country AND you are also not showcasing the best young talent in the country then what the heck is the point of being there??????
Should have done it in like January and in a warm state then could of had best guys in It from USA.
Will Mike Scioscia ever manage in MLB again? Does he want to?
Only for the Dodgers, maybe Padres
He has a reputation of not integrating information from the front office and collaboration with the GM. Unless that behavior openly changes during a hiring interview, then “No.”
That roster sounds like the one from Major League. This is sad. It’s sad that a billion dollar organization doesn’t realize it’s sad.
I’d like to see them showcase the college players again.
Federowicz, haven’t heard from him in a long time
It’s a better roster than in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Detroit.
That’s awesome to see Eddy Alvarez go back. Could be one of the few athletes in history to win medals in multiple sports.
Who the heck is Eddy Alvarez?
Former Olympic Speed Skater
A team built for grounding into double plays and pulled hamstrings.
So, just like many current major league teams?
D Rob back in Pinstripes after the Olympics. I didn’t know the Olympics was the reason he didn’t sign a deal yet
He will not be back in Pinstripes.
Is James McCann on the team?
I have no interest in the Olympics ( and not just baseball). I would sooner watch Tigers at Rockies regular season: It is a higher quality level of baseball
Players from many nations around the globe competing for the coveted “Best of the Scrubs We Could Find and Actually Get to Show Up Tournament” AKA Olympic Baseball.
Pro sports don’t need to be in the Olympics.
The best baseball, football (both), basketball and hockey teams are crowned each year in the playoffs of their respective leagues.
The only purpose of running out lesser players to compete in the Olympics is to prop up the overall ratings.
Who is watching these games? This is a site with die hard baseball fans I bet very few people here are. Ratings? This is an absolute joke. It makes everyone look stupid. Why do this?
@JP, If you accept the fact that MLB is not going to let their multi-million $ talent play in a tournament run by non baseball people then what do you want to happen?
If you are a pro sports organization involved in the Olympics you should be moving your product forward internationally. That’s kind of the benefit of being in the Olympics. This is rude. In Asian culture this is seen as rude I guarantee it. Such a joke. It’s getting to the point I am embarrassed to follow baseball.
they’re probably more annoyed by baseball only being in the games this year because it’s in Japan. they’re removing it next Olympics for the likes of break-dancing.
I To Joel Peterson: disagree 100%. Think of Mark Teixeria being injured and never the same during the World Baseball Classic. I do not need to see Gerrit Cole get injured in the Olympics.
So the USA team has no plyers from the yankees. Pitiful. They should have their nickname removed and go back to being the Highlanders. Maybe then they can put some players on the Scottish team.
I am a hard core Yankee fan and did not know that. Why? I have no interest in any Olympic sport except hockey. I did not even watch Michael Philips even once
Yanks have the least reason(s) to farm out any asset to the Olympics than any other American sports franchise. Zero need for that level of marketing exposure.
Anyone want proof that the Olympics no longer matter ( including as a marketing tool)? In soccer, the US got beat by Honduras of all countries so the US men’s team failed to qualify for the Olympics. That did not even make a blip on the radar.
I disagree. The Olympics helped the NBA early on. Any USA soccer success in the Games is always a plus for the sport State side. Just because they are not good doesn’t mean the benefit is not there. Baseball just is not a popular Olympic sport.
Why do I feel like the Clayton Andrews link is not the right one?
I’m glad we have baseball in the Olympics but lord, this is an ugly team
I will be watching whoever the Yankees are playing instead of any Olympic event.
Yeah, it’s a real who’s who of what? And why?
Then you remember that MLB teams are paying guaranteed contracts for their organization, not IOC. And baseball seems to have the most finicky injuries so sending your best over to the Olympics could jeopardize one’s organization now and in the future.
Seeing the best players representing their countries would be fun buts not going to happen,
Love me some Matt wieters
Jonathan bowlan left his start today with the naturals after only facing a couple of batters (with an unknown injury). Perhaps they might choose somebody else?
Two questions: 1. Is Ichiro playing for Japan? And
2. Is Rob Refsnyder American?? The twins need to send him to play. We need a first ballot HOF’er on the squad!
I’m just sad that Delmon Young didn’t make the team. He has been playing in the Australian Baseball League the last few years.