Tom Brennan - How About An In-Season 50 Man Roster?

Tom Advocates Change

Baseball has its venerable 40 man roster.

This is important and appropriate when it comes to protecting players from other teams drafting them in the off-season.

I like 40 for that.  It's the right number.

It once had a venerable 25 man roster, for forever. I used to frequently complain that they should change it to 26 or 27, to not screw minor league hitters out of MLB opportunities.Back in Seaver's day, teams carried 10 pitchers and 15 hitters. It got to 12-13 pitchers and 12-13 hitters. Hitters' jobs lost.

But that "Venerable 25" became changeable. No longer 25.

Back to “the 40”…during the season, I think it represents undue restriction of employment opportunities for quite a few players. Guys not on the 40 man are less likely to be called up than those already on the 40.

So I'd like to see the in-season roster be expanded - from 40 to 50.

Here's an example of why.

Daniel "Pounding" Palka had a nice major league season in 2017, 27 HRs in 417 ABs and driving in 67.

The next season, he cratered in MLB in under 100 at bats.  He was summarily banished - he's been all minors since, no MLB time at all.

With the Syracuse Mets, he's been on fire - and through slightly over 200 at bats in 2022 as I wrote this, he had 15 HRs and 47 RBIs. That's PRODUCTION.

Yet, his chances of a call up are impaired due to his not being on the 40-man roster.  If the Mets called him up, someone else would have to be dropped off it.

I am not saying he would get called up - but his chances of a call up are greatly reduced by not being on the 40 man.

Unfair to him - so, please make it 50 during the season. Don't screw the Daniel Palkas of the world. If a fella is hot, and the team has a positional need, he should be next man up. Period.

I'm Tom Brennan, and that's my message.

BUT, ONE MORE BONE OF CONTENTION BEFORE I GO:

Mets are trying to win their division.

Yanks have no such concern. They are on a 120 win pace.

The Mets play them twice in late July, and twice in late August.

Could playing 4 against the Bronx Steamrollers, and not instead against a schmucky team like the Baez-led Detroit, cost the Mets the division? 

I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?  If I was Steve Cohen, though, I'd push to limit the Yanks in-season to 2 games, if any.  As any Mets fan knows, getting into the playoffs is awfully tough - without making it even tougher.  

All time, the Mets are 58-76 against the Yanks, and 1-4 in the World Series.  59-80 is not winning baseball.  And, as you all know, when the Mets are winning more, I'm whining less.

YESTERDAY, BASEBALL, SUCH AN EASY GAME TO PLAY..

Sadly, the Mets were in Houston. They would have been rained out in Queens and avoided a loss. 

Mets fell behind 5-1 early, as Carrasco was having a bad day. A sore lower back. Dom Smith fanned with the Mets down 5-3 and the baguettes full. So…they lost 5-3.

MINORS MISH MOSH:

In the minors, Syracuse, Binghamton, and Brooklyn, despite improved play of late, were still a combined 40 games below .500 heading into action, while St Lucie was rocking at 40-23.

It was a tough night for the 4 teams, as in 0-4 and not much hitting.  And 51 strikeouts from their hitters (or should they be called missers?)

Syracuse had no Dom Smith, Daniel Palka, or Mark Vientos in the line up.  Predictably, they scored just 2 runs in a 4-2 loss.  Brodey, Saunders and Meyer each got on base twice, which was triply nice.  Hitters fanned 9 times.

Binghamton lost 9-3.  Nuf said. Except...back to back bad games for Ronny Mo...0 for 9, with 7 Ks.  What up? 14 Rumble Pony hitter Ks.  James McCann has shaken off the rust and was 2 for 4.

Brooklyn not hitting.  Down 5-2 entering the 9th, then with 2 outs a Tanner Murphy (.269) single followed by a Rudick double made it 5-3, but that was that.  16 Brooklyn hitter Ks.  Nice 9th inning by Sammy Tavares (1.40), 1-2-3 with 2 Ks.

St Lucie? 2 hits, 9 walks, 12 Ks.  In my last time mentioning strikeout totals for any individual hitters, Carlos Dominguez has 200 official at bats and 94 Ks, yet is hitting .240.  Daniel Juarez (2-1) allowed no hits in the 8th in .2 IP, but still allowed 3 runs and took a 4-2 loss.

As a final note:

One of our deep-dive readers noted that a Mets minors guy had fanned all 9 of the batters he retired in a recent scoreless 3 inning outing in the FCL.  Upon further review, it was seen that he fanned 7 in 2.2 innings in his prior outing, so in 2 outings, an astonishing 16 of 17 outs came via the strikeout!!  

His name?  Layonel Ovalles, a 6'3", 215 lb. 19 year old righty. 

16 of 17?  THAT is sick - and might be a pro baseball record.