Tom Brennan - September Call Up Thoughts

JACOB REIMER LIKELY WON’T BE A SEPTEMBER CALL UP?

But He Will Be Added to the 40 Man Roster This Winter

HEY! YEAH, YOU! 

IT IS ALMOST SEPTEMBER!

ARE YOU READY?

The excerpt below, in blue, was published by someone five years back. 

Given what it says, who do you think gets called up in September? 

Reading it, I’d definitely say, only players already on the “40 man rosters”:

What Does A Lockout Mean for the Minor Leagues

“The minor league season, and players who are not on the 40 man roster or signed to a major league contract, will be unaffected. 

Minor league teams will continue to hold mini camps, minor league spring training, and Extended spring training for these players. 

Teams are continuing to adhere to the terms of all professional development league license agreements with their affiliates and will be operating their minor league operations uninterrupted.”

Given that is likely still the rules heading into 2027’s possible strike, I would therefore not add anybody to the 40 man roster that’s a prospect but that is not already there. 

Simply because, if there is a baseball strike, particularly an extended strike, those unlucky marginal players who added on the 40 man roster, but will probably start 2027 out in the minors, will be screwed in the process.  They’ll twiddle their thumbs.

A Mitch Voit or an Emilien Pitre, for instance, does not have to be on the 40 man roster yet. (Jefferson Rojas apparently will have to be.) 

So it would be ridiculous to add any one of them to the 40 man roster this September or during the off season. They need to be playing in real games for the entirety of 2027. 

And if there is a strike, that means that all 3 will be playing (and improving) in Syracuse in early April.

As such, with the two added September 1 roster spots, I would only call up Jonah Tong, and Nick Morabito or Ronny Mauricio, this September, as both are on the 40 man rosters. 

Tong, by the way, threw 7 innings of one hit shutout ball, walking 2 and fanning 8. 

Me? I am calling Tong up. Why? He’s terrific.

I’d probably leave Mauricio in Syracuse, however, in hopes he’d put up killer AAA stats and hence look more attractive in a trade.

Jacob Reimer has to be added to the 40 mensch roster this off season, time-wise, to avoid the Rule 5 draft. His extensive missed time over the 2024-26 timeframe has put him in that spot. But they won’t want him called up, to possibly look too good if not added to roster pre-Rule 5, and hence I assume they will not call him up. 

And will add him to the 40. But we will know soon enough.

One possible call up is hulking Dylan Ross, who has been lousy almost all year - until his last handful of excellent outings. Last 4 outings through August 23, 5 innings with just one hit anllowed and no runs. Expanding that, Dylan Ross has been mostly excellent over the last 6 weeks. In AAA. Season #s mean nothing…what have you done for me lately does matter. 13 of last 15 outings, unscored on. Call him up. “Mostly terrible, but good in August” Kodai Senga would likely agree.

The rest will all sort itself out.

What are your thoughts? Please limit yourself to 40 thoughts or less.