2018 ALCS Roster?

What is the point of having Gattis on the roster anyway, other than the fact he is a right handed bat? I would much rather have the ability to insert Straw as a base runner to get us a steal late in a close game. I honestly don't know why we wouldn't just go with 11 relievers again. With the length our starters give us and the scheduled off days, is there really a need for a 12th reliever? Josh James didn't even pitch in the ALDS.

 

According to Hinch, very likely Astros go 12 pitchers. Also in Obvious News, apparently Hinch is going with Verlander in Game 1 and Cole in Game 2.

 

yeah James didn't pitch but that's more of a credit to all of the pitchers that got the opportunity and stepped up. Especially hou's aces that are able to pitch into the game. Pressly had his moments where he got in some trouble but thankfully got out of it. But it's not always going to be like that, especially now that we're getting down to the true elite teams. The pen was strengthen this year for a reason to avoid alot of the struggles we saw last year. It good to have the options against an even better team than cleveland

 

They kept Fisher all the way through the World Series; I think they'll do the same with Straw.

 

They just had a very successful series. I say don't rock the boat. Let's roll with the same crew.

 

Neither did Tony Sipp. Will Harris was obviously just a mop up guy. But no, I think you need 12 pitchers b/c you are going to have back to back games, in games 3 and 4, where you trot out Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel and you are probably going to need the bullpen to get 27 or 30 outs in a 24 hour time period, and then you still have another game the next night. You can't go to the whip too much, witness what happened to LA in Game 5 when they brought what's his face (morrow?) in for the 5th game in a row and he was clearly on fumes and got crushed. So, a realistic scenario if you are trying to win games 3, 4 and 5 might play out like this:

Game 3- Morton goes 4 and gives up 2 runs while getting 12 outs and facing 18 hitters. You have something like a 2-1 deficit heading into the top of the 5th.
Roll with- Mchugh for 5th and 6th. Mix and match the 7th with Sipp and Smith. 8th inning goes to Pressley. 9th inning goes to Osuna. Keep in mind, this is probably (if things in the series are going well) the 4th inning Presley has pitched in this series, and maybe the 3rd inning for Osuna.
Next night- Keuchel gives up 3 runs through 3 innings.
James (change of pace- why I saved him to backstop Keuchel as opposed to Morton) gives you 2 and 1/3. Sipp 1/3 and Smith 1/3. Peacock the 7th. LMJ the 8th and 9th.
So, that gives you needing 7 from JV in game 5 really. I guess you could bring Mchugh back, who threw two innings 2 nights ago, but I wouldn't want any more than 1 inning out of him in that scenario. But your dream is JV then for 7, Pressley the 9th and Osuna the 9th, and hopefully that is a clincher to the series.

But, if you look at that, it shows you why you really need 8 bullpen guys for this series, especially in light of the fact that other than Cole and Keuchel they are just flat going to have to go the bullpen early, due to injury worry (Morton) and concern about effectiveness (Keuchel).

 

That's certainly my preference, like I said. Are you sure on Fisher? I thought he wasn't on the ALCS for some reason. Don't recall him getting in, but that was a year ago and I get dumber as I age, so...

 

Didn't have a healthy Marisnick last year.

 

Add Peacock, drop Gattis is my guess but obviously they'll look at the matchups to decide between Peacock, Smith, or Rondon.

Straw over Gattis is almost a no-brainer IMO. Gattis hasn't hit well since July, was 1-12 against Boston this year, and was 1-16 pinch hitting,

 

They had Fisher and Maybin, along with Marwin, Springer and Reddick.

 

Maybin played his role, though.

 

I keep forgetting about Maybin.

 

he got in during game 3

 

He won America free tacos. The man is a hero forever in my book. But, then I remember that b**** ass "effort" he made on a ball down the line in left field at Yankee Stadium that caused the team to get shook for the only time in the entire playoffs last year and I get a little ragey.

 

I would roll with the same roster, but my guess is that Gattis gets replaced by Rondon. Smith and Peacock are other possibilities.

 

Amen! No need to change much at all.

Straws speed is a big asset in a tight game and several of these games will likely be tight. I doubt he’s off the roster.

 

that sounds like thinking red sox is not any better than the indians

 

Yep....I do too.

 

What do you think the odds are that Straw makes the regular season active roster?