Get ready for the Roster Crunch

Will less than a week to go before opening days, teams are finalizing rosters, deciding who will or will not make the team. With teams having multiple “non-roster” (players not on the 40-man roster) invitees, they must decide if it is worth clearing a roster spot to allow those players to make the team.

For example, last season Brad Keller was a non-roster invitee for the Cubs. When he made the team, they needed to free up a 40-man roster spot, and they waived Cody Poteet, the player they had traded for Cody Bellinger. Lots of similar moves will happen this week across MLB.

There are basically 2 things a team can do to create space on their 40-man roster:
-Put a player on the 60-day IL
-Place a player on waivers, which removes him from the 40-man roster

Of course, when a player is placed on waivers, any other team in the Majors can claim him, and the team with the highest priority then can put him on their 40-man roster. This requires that they clear a spot, which typically leads to another player being waived.

The Cubs are currently at their maximum roster size, and so they must clear space if they want any non-roster players to make the team. They have already announced that MIchael Conforto will make it, so that’s at least one spot that needs to be cleared. With the possibility that Dylan Carlson, Jon Long and one of the non-roster relievers might make it, that is more space that may need to be made. Plus, the Cubs might want to add someone waived from another team.

They should be able to clear a spot by putting Tyler Austin on the 60-day IL. He is set to be out for several months, so his move to the IL will allow Conforto to be added. After that, things get a bit fuzzy. Justin Steele could be put on the 60-day IL, but that might delay his return past when he will be ready. Still, I think the Cubs are being cautious with him, and move to the 60-day IL would make sense.

If the Cubs decide that only one more non-roster player besides Conforto would make the team, they might not need to waive anyone. But, if they want to add a third non-roster player or pick someone up from another team, they need to make space. So they is still a strong likelihood that they will need to drop at least one or two players.

Candidates to be waived:

• Ben Cowles – he was the last player added via a waiver pickup, and might clear waivers
• Justin Dean – another waiver add in the off-season, he did not make the opening day roster.
• Ryan Rolison – he has value as a left-handed reliever, but might be expendable, especially if a player the Cubs value more becomes available
• Jack Neely – Neely was acquired with Ben Cowles in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade. He’s been poor in his very brief time in the majors, but has shown enough to stick around
• Riley Martin – Another lefty reliever, Martin was added to the 40-man to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. I still think the Cubs see enough in him to keep him around. He is old (28) for a prospect, though.

Ultimately, I think Cowles, Dean and Rolison may all be at risk based on roster moves ahead, but we will find out this week.