The 40-man Roster: Today's Move and A Glance Forward

by David Todd on Jun 24, 2011 9:33 AM EDT

Later today the Pirates are going to announce a move creating a space on the 40-man roster. As Charlie has written, yesterday they optioned infielder Josh Harrison to Indianapolis and today they will recall infielder Chase d'Arnaud. Moving Harrison opens a spot on the 25-man roster, but they also need to clear a spot on the 40-man for d'Arnaud.

My guess is they do one of two things. First they could move Ryan Doumit to the 60-day disabled list. Doumit went on the DL on May 31 and isn't likely to be ready before the end of July. When he is ready the team can designate Dusty Brown for assignment and nobody is removed from the roster today. The other possible move would be to DFA lefthanded pitcher Aaron Thompson. The 24-year old Thompson was acquired on waivers last December and hasn't excelled at AA Altoona. He would most certainly clear waivers.

Over the next ten days it is expected the Pirates will shuffle the deck a few more times with the roster eventually looking just like it did yesterday with d'Arnaud up and Pedro Ciriaco in Indy come July 3 (For more on that you can read here.). After the all-star break it will get shuffled some more as guys like Pedro Alvarez, Steve Pearce and Doumit, hopefully, return from the disabled list.

But already this year we have seen a number of guys removed from the 40-man. Ramon Aguero, Garrett Olson, Josh Rodriguez, John Bowker, Jose Ascanio, and Wyatt Toregas have all been DFA'd. An interesting question, and one Charlie and I briefly discussed on the postgame show on Thursday, is what will the 40-man roster look like on April 1. With three players (Ross Ohlendorf, Kevin Hart and Chris Snyder) currently on the 60-DL, and including d'Arnaud and not the unannounced corresponding move, the Pirates have 44 players on the 40-man roster. Take a look at that list. I only come up with about 30 names that will be on it next April and some prospects like Harrison and d'Arnaud have already been added. Obviously the mix will vary depending on what happens at the trade deadline, but I don't think the presumed roster crunch is quite as difficult as some might suggest. Yes, some free agents will be signed and take up spots, but there is still a fair amount of dead wood. This time next year could be quite different. There will only be a couple of spots obviously opening (Correia/Diaz if still around) and the Pirates may have filled the pipeline all the way up to the major league level. Finally.

It will be interesting to watch it play out.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Comments

I really hope that they can sustain this success

If not, the hand wringing and teeth gnashing that we heard aver Adcock will be nothing. I’m excited for the day where there is little dead weight on the 40. I think you will still have a veteran bench guy, or a back-of-the-bench utility guy around, but ridding ourselves of some of this lesser talent will be great.

by Wizard of Woz on Jun 24, 2011 9:55 AM EDT reply actions

There is atleast 9-10 Guys left that I would protect or I think Neal might protect an add to the 40 Man Roster. Thats A lot still

Tim Alderson-?
Calvin Anderson
Chase d’Arnaud-All Ready Added
Jeremy Farrell-?
Matt Hague- Protect
Josh Harrison- All Ready Added
Andrew Lambo-? I would Protect
Quincy Latimore-?
Brian Leach-*?
Brett Lorin- Protect
Starling Marte- Protect
Jordy Mercer- Protect
Diego Moreno-? I would protect
Rudy Owens- Protect
Aaron Pribanic- Protect
Yeiber Sanchez
Hunter Strickland
Justin Wilson- Protect

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

the bold is confusing me...

by white angus on Jun 24, 2011 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions

anyway, you dont protect:

anderson, farrell, leach, strickland, sanchez… im torn on alderson. not sure about pribanic or lorin. not a fan of latimore.

by white angus on Jun 24, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Farrell

u r probably right, but he does appear to be borderline..

by BurgherKing on Jun 24, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Yea idk either about Alderson, I think i would protect him too

Pribanic and Lorin if we don’t protect them someone will prob take a chance on them and someone will def draft Diego Moreno if we don’t protect him either, his arm is too good. Some team out there will take a chance on him.

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions

idk why some are in bold and some arent...sry

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Using apostrophes

is the same as using the bold icon in the reply section.

Example: if you type * Starling Marte * without the spaces between the apostrophes before and after the name, it comes out Starling Marte.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 24, 2011 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

You mean asterisks, right?

Apostrophe’s are the mark’s that warn reader’s that an S is coming up.

by JRoth95 on Jun 24, 2011 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I did mean asterisks.

Instructional fail.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 25, 2011 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Shit i forgot

Ramon Cabrera, and Eric Fryer too

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Michael Colla too

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

which is exactly

why we should make a deal involving some of them

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Jun 24, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

yup, package like 3 together, get a MLB rental player perhaps and then we accomplished the goal, we acquired some MLB talent to help this years team, we also cleared some of the log jam for the roster crunch, and we lost minimal in terms of “good-great” prospects.

We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!

by C Shint on Jun 24, 2011 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Think you meant Overbay/Diaz

Correia is signed through 2012 right? Either way I’d include Maholm in that mix of players probably not around in April. Can’t see paying him $9.75 million versus buying him out for $750,000.

by buccobob_houstontx on Jun 24, 2011 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

No, what he means

is that next summer, when we’re looking to the 40-man of April 2013, there will only be 2 names obviously coming off: Correia and Diaz, both of whom are on 2 year contracts.

FWIW, I don’t think Diaz sticks that long; if he plays the rest of the year – or possibly just the rest of June and July – the way he has to date, I think they just cut him and eat the salary. He’s really not worth much at this performance level, and at his age, this is more likely to be his permanent level than some SSS-driven blip.

by JRoth95 on Jun 24, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think Diaz makes it to next year, either.

by Thunder on Jun 24, 2011 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Cedeno seems obvious, if he makes it that long

by Mr. E on Jun 24, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I believe will be protected.

Harrison, d’Arnaud, Marte, Hague, Owens, Wilson, Mercer, Lambo, Pribanic, Lorin, Moreno, Alderson. Farrel and Leach have a chance to be protected too.

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Leach, really?

I don’t see any way he’s protected, he’s 25 years old and in A+ ball…not exactly a hot property.

I wouldn’t protect Lambo either unless he gets a real tear in AA, what team in their right mind would carry him on their 25 man roster all year? I’d protect Farrell over him.

They should consider protecting Ramon Cabrera, too…I know he’s a midget and everything but still his contact rate is so good that I think he’s worth a look at the upper levels.

by maguro on Jun 24, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Tim at Pirates Prospects

seems to like him a lot

by BigB2323 on Jun 24, 2011 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

No chance I protect Lambo

by Mr. E on Jun 24, 2011 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

not enough room

Bees Bees Everywhere

by VoteforPedro on Jun 24, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I think we need to be clear

Regarding the roster crunch, there are easily a half dozen guys that you add without hesitation. Beyond that, there are another half dozen who are due to be added and that, ceteris paribus, you’d just as soon keep. The question is which of those guys you expect to lose (eg Alderson – someone will give him a chance based on pedigree) and which should clear, but could well be taken (eg Sanchez, who’s awfully raw, but is big and throws hard).

Failing to add Alderson is effectively giving up on him; failing to add Sanchez is crossing your fingers (Adcock clearly was a finger-crossing move, but an misjudged one).

by JRoth95 on Jun 24, 2011 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

I'm not sure....

people realize how few guys, and virtually no position players, actually stick through the season after being drafted in the Rule 5. Last year I think the number was 1 and this year as of a month ago there were only 4, all pitchers.

I see very few of the non-obvious selections as having any chance of being picked. Certainly none of the position players.

The Hammer Speaks
Extra Innings
Twitter: @DTonPirates and @hammerspeaks

by David Todd on Jun 24, 2011 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Here is an update....

of the Rule 5 draft. 5 guys remaining with the drafted team, but two are out for the season with arm injuries. One position player:

http://www.mlbdepthcharts.com/2010/12/rule-v-draft-tracker-2010-11.html

The Hammer Speaks
Extra Innings
Twitter: @DTonPirates and @hammerspeaks

by David Todd on Jun 24, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Point well taken

about position players. In the era of 12-13 man pitching staffs, it’s a lot easier to hide a useless body in the bullpen than on the bench.

That said, I’m surprised AL teams aren’t a bit more aggressive at that. How often does an AL team use even 3 bench guys in a game, let alone 5? Furthermore, it’s not as if you have to worry about overuse for PHs or defensive replacements. If your 5th OF is a Rule 5 guy, the 4th OF can play every single game in one capacity or another.

by JRoth95 on Jun 24, 2011 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions

But to follow up

And this is why I’ve always insisted losing Adcock was a problem, even back when NH defenders insisted he’d be back in our org within a month: it’s lost development whether the guy sticks or not. I don’t imagine that Bautista would have broken out with us had he not gone on his Rule 5 odyssey, but no one can think that he was made more valuable to us by it, can they? Aramis Ramirez, of course, had nothing to do with Rule 5, but he’s a good illustration of how premature callups can harm a player’s development while screwing over the controlling team.

It’s a bad gamble, IMO, because the downside is so stark.

by JRoth95 on Jun 24, 2011 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions