2020 Projected 26

1. Maldonado
2. Gurriel
3. Altuve
4. Bregman
5. Correa
6. Reddick
7. Springer
8. Brantley
9. Alvarez
10. Garneau
11. Diaz
12. Tucker
13. *Pence/Straw/Toro

14. JV
15. Greinke
16. McCullers
17. Urquidy
18. Pruitt
19. Osuna
20. Pressly
21. Smith
22. Peacock
23. Devo
24. Biagini
25. James
26. Abreu

 

did mlb expand from 25 to 26 ? cool

 

Position players:
100% locks if healthy (9):
Maldonado
Gurriel
Altuve
Correa
Bregman
Diaz
Springer
Brantley
Alvarez

Lock, barring a spring meltdown (1):
Tucker

Lock, barring a trade (1):
Reddick

Favorites in spring competition (2):
Garneau
Straw

Next in line:
Toro
Stubbs

Outside looking in (in order):
Mayfield
Jones
Tanielu
Ritchie
Ferguson
Dawson
Quintana
De Goti
Duarte
McCormick
Wrenn
Robinson
Pena

Pence hasn’t signed yet, but if he does I would expect Reddick to be traded and for Pence to take his spot. Otherwise I will expect that Pence is just insurance, with an outside possibility that he takes the 13th spot from Straw.

Pitchers:
100% locks if healthy (8):
Verlander
Greinke
McCullers
Osuna
Pressly
Smith
Peacock
Pruitt

Lock, barring a spring meltdown (4):
James
Devenski
Biagini
Urquidy

Favorite in spring competition (1):
Abreu

Next in line:
Martes
Valdez
Taylor
Armenteros
C Perez
Sneed

Outside looking in:
Javier
Paredes
Emanuel
Rodriguez
Deetz
Ferrell
Scrubb
Garza
Hartman
McCurry
Bielak
Whitley

So, the prediction until something changes:
C: Maldonado, Garneau
IF: Gurriel, Altuve, Correa, Bregman, Diaz
OF: Springer, Brantley, Alvarez, Tucker, Reddick, Straw
SP: Verlander, Greinke, McCullers, Urquidy, Pruitt
RP: Peacock, Devenski, Biagini, Abreu, James, Smith, Pressly, Osuna

 

Assuming health this is pretty much it, I don't even see any real battles either.

Toro could maybe force the organizations hand, but he would have to tear it up because Straw has too much working in his favor with Jake gone. Stubbs maybe, but he has options and I don't think Garneau does, so that one seems pretty open and shut too.

None of the other pitchers seem like viable opening day options, although they could certainly factor in to the season.

 

Two guys I personally would not consider locks are Pruitt as the 5th starter and Biagini in the pen. I feel Urquidy, James and Devenski are locks, if healthy. I'm pretty high on Javier, although he probably starts in AAA no matter what. Abreu, Armenteros, Valdez have a decent shot of pitching their way onto the team. Two wildcards are Whitley and Martes. There's no telling what to expect from either one, but Whitley's AFL performance was great.

 

I've got a better chance of being on the opening day roster than Whitley and Javier do. They may be big factors in the year, but zero chance of being here OD.

Abreu is on the team, he will have to pitch himself off the team to not be here OD.

 

I don't see anything about OD in the thread title or in my post, other than stating that Javier will start at AAA. Merely some observations about the 2020 roster. Yeah, I agree Whitley starts at AAA as well.

 

This.

I expect Reddick gets traded. If Pence signs, he replaces Reddick. If he doesn't, I think it will be Stubbs as 26th man to start the season with Toro coming up when needed or when it makes the most sense from arbitration/control standpoint.

Has MLB announced if there is a limit on pitchers yet? If MLB doesn't limit pitchers, I'd give Martes a way outside shot at the 26th spot if he does well in Spring.

 

What’s the rumor on pence?

 

Yes, MLB has told teams the Pitcher limits. 13 pitchers from Opening Day to Aug 31. 14 pitchers from Sept. 1- End Regular Season. Doubleheader games and special games that merit the 27th Man, before Sept. 1st, mean a 14th pitcher can be added to the Active Roster.

Also, for just 2020 players can qualify to be a Two-Way Player by meeting the requirements in EITHER the 2019 or 2018 season. This will allow the Angels to designate Shohei Ohtani as a Two-Way Player at the start of the season.