 08/30/2004 12:46 PM ET
Callup time gives clubs options
A look at the choices facing teams on Sept. 1
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By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com |
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| A's prospect Joe Blanton is an example of a player who may not benefit from a callup. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
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The final month of the baseball season is always full of excitement. With as many as 16 teams standing at seven or fewer games out of a playoff berth as the calendar turns to September, every single move a team makes could make the difference.
As a result, roster expansion could take on extra importance this season. On Sept. 1, all 30 Major League teams have the opportunity to expand their big league roster to 40 players, if they so choose.
For the dozen or so teams still in the hunt, the callups may be few and far between. It's unlikely a division leader in a tight race, for example, is going to bring up a bunch of prospects because they're just not likely to play all that much.
The Oakland A's, for instance, have many farmhands who are close to being ready for the Major Leagues. But some of them might not get the call right away. There may be no sense in bringing up starter Joe Blanton since he'd just sit and watch. A contender may look within the organization for some pieces that might help in certain situations, like an extra arm out of the bullpen, a third catcher or some speed for pinch-running opportunities.
TEAM-BY-TEAM CALLUP COVERAGE |
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For those teams out of the race and looking toward next year, September can be a key time to assess the future of the organization. It's more likely that these teams will expand their rosters to the hilt, letting some of the youngsters play on the big stage in a one-month audition for next year and beyond.
Those fans familiar with the names of big-time prospects wait anxiously for these announcements to be made, wanting to see if the phenoms they've heard so much about will get the call.
Sometimes they're disappointed, because there are a number of variables that go into who gets called up, even for teams no longer in the hunt:
Forty-man roster configuration: Whenever a player gets called up, he must be added to the 40-man roster, if he's not on it already. If an organization's 40-man roster is at capacity, that could keep an otherwise deserving prospect down on the farm. To add someone to a full 40-man roster, someone would have to be removed, exposing that player to waivers. If a team doesn't have an obvious candidate for that, they may decide to hold off.
A player's service time in the organization also can come into play. A player who is 18 when he's signed can spend four seasons in an organization before he has to be protected on the 40-man roster. Anyone who is 19 or older must be protected after three years. Once past that time of service, a prospect must be put on the 40-man roster if his organization wants to keep him from being eligible for the Rule 5 draft, held each year in December.
In other words, if a team isn't in a position where it has to add a prospect to the 40-man roster (The Padres, for example, don't have to add pitcher Tim Stauffer to the 40-man roster for another two years, technically), they may decide not to bring him up this September.
Also, when you add a player to the 40-man roster, the clock starts ticking on his big league service time. That moves the player that much closer to arbitration, free agency, etc., though one GM said that because it's only 30 days, that's never the make-or-break issue.
Who's already up? In many instances, many September callup possibilities are already in the big leagues. In Arizona, for instance, the youth movement began long ago, leaving very few options to bring up now. The Mets had so many injuries that they, too, have most of their September callups, like David Wright, on the 25-man roster already. Others, like the Rockies' Jeff Francis and the Rays' B.J. Upton, are also already getting their feet wet.
Playing time: Just because a player might be ready doesn't mean he'll get a chance to play, even on a non-contender. If there's no room in the Majors, a team may not bring up a top prospect just for the sake of bringing him up and having him sit. It might be more beneficial to have him play out the minor league season and get some more at-bats or innings. He can always be called up whenever the minor league season ends -- which leads to another variable ...
Minor league playoff races: Especially for teams out of the race, this is a big issue. If an affiliate is in the heat of a playoff race, or definitely headed toward the playoffs, the organization may let its top prospects stay there to help that affiliate win a title. So the Indians, for example, may not bring up some of their better minor leaguers right away, instead leaving them to help the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons try to win an International League title.
Come Sept. 1, here are a handful of top names expected to get the call:
Gavin Floyd, RHP, Phillies
Despite struggling a bit since his promotion to Doulble-A Reading, the Phillies not only plan on bringing Floyd up, but he's scheduled to start in place of the injured Randy Wolf on Friday.
Rick Ankiel, LHP, Cardinals
Remember him? The former phenom is healthy and throwing strikes. In a total of 23 2/3 innings pitched across three levels, Ankiel has 23 strikeouts and just two walks, including a six-inning gem on Sunday for Triple-A Memphis. And he's just 25. He could even sneak onto the playoff roster if there's a need.
Russ Adams, SS, Blue Jays
Consider this a true test of the J.P. Ricciardi regime. Adams was the Jays GM's first draft pick, in 2002. He'll get plenty of playing time at shortstop in the final month.
Brendan Harris/Mark Teahen, 3B, Expos/Royals
Call this the "traded third base prospect category." Both Harris (acquired in the deal that landed Nomar Garciaparra with the Cubs) and Teahen (part of the Carlos Beltran trade to the Astros) should get every chance to be the everyday third baseman for their respective clubs. Fans should get a sneak preview of both in September.
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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