RosterResource Roundup: March 22-28

This is the debut of “RosterResource Roundup”, which will be a regular feature here at FanGraphs. As you probably know, the baseball news cycle moves quickly. My job is to pay close attention and keep all of our RosterResource content updated. Between the rosters and depth charts, playing time projections, transaction tracker, closer depth chart, injury report, and payroll pages, you can get a pretty good idea of what happened throughout the day and what’s coming next. Taking it a step further and offering context is the goal of this column.

Once the regular season begins, this roundup will include a list of notable roster moves, as well as future expected moves and a Minor League Report, which includes a list of recent major league debuts, top prospect promotions, and players who are “knocking down the door” to the majors. Any lineup regulars, starting pitchers, or late-inning relievers are considered “notable,” meaning that middle relievers, long relievers, and bench players are normally excluded. You can always find a full list of updated transactions here.

Within these roundups, I will provide information that is relevant to each team’s closing situation, including injury updates, notes from that day’s games, and “Relievers on the Rise”.  As we get deeper into the season, I’ll have features on trade candidates, rankings for next offseason’s free agents, updates on how teams and players are doing versus their pre-season projections, and much more.

For today, here is a look at each team’s most recent developments and what decisions still need to be made ahead of Opening Day.

 

AL EAST

Baltimore Orioles
Recent Developments:

•Jackson Holliday reassigned to minors, allowing both Jordan Westburg (2B) and Ramón Urías (3B) to play on a regular basis to begin the season.
•Colton Cowser made the team.
•Tyler Nevin has not officially won a bench job, but he’s the last man standing after Nick Maton and Ryan McKenna were told that they would not make the Opening Day roster. All three players are out of options.
•Keegan Akin won the final bullpen spot after Bryan Baker and Jonathan Heasley were optioned.

UPDATE 3/26: Tony Kemp was signed to a MLB contract. Nevin will now likely be traded or designated for assignment. UPDATE 3/28: Jacob Webb will begin the season on the Paternity List. Nick Vespi was recalled.

Decisions remaining:

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Boston Red Sox
Recent Developments:

•Ceddanne Rafaela made the team. He’s expected to be the starting CF, although he could occasionally fill in at 2B.
•C.J. Cron was released, making it almost certain that Bobby Dalbec has won a spot on the bench.
•Joely Rodríguez and Justin Slaten (Rule 5 pick) made the team and will be in the bullpen, as will Chase Anderson after he signed a MLB contract.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Wilyer Abreu has a good chance to win the final bench spot despite losing the battle for a starting job and having a poor overall spring. If they want him to play every day in Triple-A, there should be plenty of bench options available via free agency/trade/waivers.

Assuming Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin will be ready to go for Opening Day, the final bullpen spot could come down to either Isaiah Campbell (8.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K) or Greg Weissert (8.1 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 10 K). Neither deserves to go back to Triple-A. UPDATE: It appears that Campbell and Weissert both made the team while Brennan Bernardino (6.2 IP, 0 ER), who also didn’t deserve to go back to Triple-A, was optioned (via MLB dot com transaction page).

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

New York Yankees
Recent Developments: 

•DJ LeMahieu (bone bruise on foot) is expected to begin the season on the 10-Day IL after manager Aaron Boone called his chances “a little more of a long shot”. Oswaldo Cabrera would be his likely replacement at 3B.
•Luis Gil (15.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 6 BB, 23 K) named as the No. 5 starter. He was officially optioned to Triple-A on March 3, but has continued to pitch in MLB games and proved to be the best option to fill in for the injured Gerrit Cole. He’s been out of action since May 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (2)
•Bullpen (2)

Ben Rortvedt and Jahmai Jones are the remaining bench candidates on the 40-man roster and both are out of options. Assuming that Austin Wells will be on the roster and the Yankees aren’t going to carry three catchers, I’d expect Rortvedt to be traded or on the waiver wire by Thursday. Jones also doesn’t offer much defensive versatility, which is why Kevin Smith might a better chance. Of the remaining candidates, Oscar Gonzalez (15-for-46, 4 2B, HR) is having the best camp.

UPDATE 3/26: Clayton Beeter and Nick Burdi have made the team. The pitching staff appears set. UPDATE 3/26: After the latest round of cuts, Rortvedt and Jones are in line to fill out the bench. At least one acquisition from outside the organization, however, remains likely. UPDATE 3/27: Rortvedt was traded to the Rays and Jon Berti was acquired from the Marlins.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Tampa Bay Rays
Recent Developments: 

•Jonathan Aranda, who was projected to be the team’s starting DH vs RHP, will be out 4-6 weeks with a fractured ring finger.
•Jake Mangum was reassigned to the minors, leaving the team with only 12 position players remaining in camp. This means that a player will be brought back from the minors or they could acquire a player from outside the organization.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Bringing back Junior Caminero (optioned on 3/11) with what could be regular DH at-bats would be the most popular choice, but there haven’t been any indications that this will happen. The 20-year-old is very likely to be the 3B in Triple-A to begin the season. Austin Shenton is a more likely choice, considering he has some defensive versatility (1B, 3B, LF) and would give the Rays a third lefty batter on their roster.

The No. 5 starter is expected to be Tyler Alexander or Jacob Waguespack, although it’s possible that they can piggyback and cover 5-6 innings between the two of them. Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly, and Erasmo Ramírez appear to be the finalists for one remaining bullpen spot.

UPDATE: Alexander will start the 4th game of the season (or serve as bulk pitcher) and Waguespack will be in the bullpen. Kelly was optioned. UPDATE 3/26: Alex Jackson is the lone catcher remaining in camp who is vying for the backup job, but he’s not on the 40-man roster and there are at least three catchers (Joey Bart, Eric Haase, Rortvedt) who are expected to be placed on the trade block within the next couple days. UPDATE 3/27: Niko Goodrum was acquired from the Twins and will be added to the 40-man roster. UPDATE 3/27: Rortvedt was acquired to be the backup catcher. Shenton has made the team. UPDATE 3/27: It’s not yet clear on whether Goodrum will be on the 26-man roster or Triple-A. He has options remaining. UPDATE 3/28: Goodrum was optioned.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Toronto Blue Jays
Recent Developments: 

•Brian Serven, Daniel Vogelbach, Ernie Clement, and Davis Schneider made the team. The bench is set.
•Kevin Gausman (shoulder), Jordan Romano (elbow), and Erik Swanson (forearm) all remain questionable for Opening Day. UPDATE: Romano and Swanson are expected to begin the season on the 15-Day IL.

Decisions remaining:

•Rotation (1 if Gausman isn’t ready)
•Bullpen (1-3 depending on Gausman, Romano, Swanson)

All three candidates to fill in for Gausman if he begins the season on the IL — Mitch White, Yariel Rodriguez, and Ricky Tiedemann — were impressive in their final outings of the spring. Gausman has not been ruled out to start the team’s 5th game of the season on April 1 at Houston. If not in the rotation, White will be in the bullpen to begin the season while Rodriguez might begin in Triple-A. UPDATE 3/27: Rodriguez and Zach Pop were optioned. Gausman seems on track to start Game 4 or 5.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

AL CENTRAL

Chicago White Sox
Recent Developments:

•Kevin Pillar was released from his MiLB deal on Saturday and re-signed to a MLB deal on Sunday. He’s expected to platoon with Dominic Fletcher in RF.
•Jesse Chavez was released and Touki Toussaint was designated for assignment, removing two candidates from the bullpen competition.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1-2)
•Rotation (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Pillar and Gavin Sheets appear locked in to two of the four bench spots. If Max Stassi (general soreness) isn’t ready for Opening Day, Korey Lee would likely be recalled to take his place. Danny Mendick and Zach Remillard had a good chance at winning a backup infielder spot, but Braden Shewmake made a very fast recovery from a sprained ankle and now appears to be the favorite for the job.

Nick Nastrini struggled in his final start of the spring while veteran Brad Keller pitched five shutout innings with nine strikeouts on Sunday. Unless the team had already decided that Nastrini would be their No. 5 starter, Keller’s performance could be giving them a lot to think about.

As bad as things looked early in camp, the back of the bullpen is beginning to show some promise with Michael Kopech, Steven Wilson, and rookie Jordan Leasure all looking like they could be reliable options in the late innings. Bryan Shaw, Jake Cousins and Dominic Leone are the leading candidates for what appears to be one final spot.

UPDATE 3/25: Stassi will begin the season on the 10-Day IL. Kee was recalled. UPDATE 3/27: Shaw and Leone have made the team. They’ll begin the season with 9 relievers and likely call up a 5th starter (Nastrini?) on 4/2 or 4/3.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Cleveland Guardians
Recent Developments:

•Myles Straw cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minors. He’ll begin the season in Triple-A.
•Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias both made the team. Rocchio is expected to get the bulk of starts at SS while Arias will fill a utility role.
•David Fry made the team.
•Deyvison De Los Santos (Rule 5 pick) cleared waivers and was returned to the Diamondbacks.
•Carlos Carrasco will be the No. 5 starter.

Decisions remaining:

•Starting CF

Some combination of Will Brennan, Estevan Florial, and Tyler Freeman will play CF. Whether one of them will get the bulk of starts is yet to be determined and might not be until the season is underway.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Detroit Tigers
Recent Developments: 

•Casey Mize and Reese Olson won the last two rotation spots. Matt Manning was optioned.

Decisions remaining:

•Bullpen (2)

Beau Brieske and Alex Faedo have been terrific this spring while Miguel Diaz (out of options) and Will Vest (very good in 2023) have not been. Two of the four will not make the Opening Day roster. UPDATE: Faedo and Vest made the team. Brieske was optioned and Diaz will either be traded or designated for assignment.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Kansas City Royals
Recent Developments: 

•Michael Massey (lower back tightness) will begin the season on the 10-Day IL.
•Nick Loftin and Dairon Blanco made the team.
•Nick Pratto was optioned.
•Alec Marsh was named No. 5 starter. Jordan Lyles will pitch out of the bullpen.
•Matt Sauer (Rule 5 pick) made the team.

Decisions remaining:

•Starting DH
•Starting 2B

With Pratto (16-for-38, 4 HR) being sent out despite putting up huge numbers this spring, it’s not certain whether Nelson Velázquez (7-for-39, 0 HR) is still slated to get regular at-bats based on his strong performance at the end of last season. The most likely scenario is they alternate the DH and allow each of their bench players to get at least a few starts per week.

Adam Frazier, Garrett Hampson, and Loftin could all get starts at 2B while Massey is out. Loftin (14-for-42, 2 HR, 8 BB) could be the odd man out once Massey returns, but he also has an opportunity to earn a much bigger role if he continues to hit.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Minnesota Twins
Recent Developments:

•Jhoan Duran (oblique) and Justin Topa (knee) will begin the season on the 15-Day IL.

Decisions remaining:

•Bullpen (1)

Cole Sands figures to have the edge for the final bullpen spot because he’s capable of giving the team multiple innings and he’s the only one left on the 40-man roster. Matt Bowman and Daniel Duarte have been much better this spring, but clearing a 40-man spot for a non-roster invitee could be challenging because there does not appear to be any obvious 60-Day IL or DFA candidates. UPDATE 3/26: Duarte will remain with the team in case Josh Staumont (leg discomfort) needs an IL stint. UPDATE 3/27: Staumont was placed on the 15-Day IL with a strained calf. Duarte made the team.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

AL WEST

Houston Astros
Recent Developments:

•None

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (2)
•Bullpen (3)

The last bench spots are down to Jon Singleton, Corey Julks, and Grae Kessinger, who strained his hamstring on March 18 but has not been ruled out for Opening Day. Joey Loperfido (13-for-34, 5 2B, 7 BB) did everything he could to win a job, but he’ll head to the minors to continue playing every day. UPDATE 3/28: Julks was optioned, which likely means that Kessinger is ready to go for Opening Day.

Non-roster invitees Tayler Scott and Luis Contreras have an outside chance of winning a bullpen spot, but Brandon Bielak, Seth Martinez, and Parker Mushinski all seem to have a much better chance at sticking around. UPDATE 3/27: Mushinski has made the team. UPDATE 3/28: Scott made the team. Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the 15-Day IL.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Los Angeles Angels
Recent Developments:

•Anthony Rendon has been in the leadoff spot in three consecutive starts. It’s something that manager Ron Washington is experimenting with and it is not set in stone. Aaron Hicks, Mickey Moniak, and Luis Rengifo are all candidates to bat out of the leadoff spot.
•José Soriano has been so good as a starting pitcher this spring (6 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K in last start) that he might be pitching himself out of a big league job. If they think he’s going to help them out of the rotation at some point in 2024, they could send him to Triple-A to continue starting rather than pitching out of the MLB bullpen.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (1-2)

Ehire Adrianza, Miguel Sanó, and Jake Marisnick are battling for the final bench spot. Adrianza gives them the most defensive versatility. Sanó gives them right-handed power off the bench. Marisnick can play all three outfield spots, but he would essentially be the team’s 6th outfielder. UPDATE 3/26: Sanó has made the team.

If Soriano goes to the minors, there is room for both Hunter Strickland and Guillermo Zuñiga. If not, those two are fighting for the last spot. UPDATE 3/26: Soriano and Zuñiga have made the team.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Oakland Athletics
Recent Developments: 

•Miguel Andujar will undergo surgery for a torn knee meniscus and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
•Austin Adams (6.1 IP, 4 ER, BB, 12 K, 2 HBP) was acquired from the Mets and added to the 40-man roster.

Decisions remaining:

•Starting SS
•Bench (2-3)
•Rotation (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Darell Hernaiz is having a decent camp (15-for-48, 3 BB, 9 K), but he has only one extra-base hit and doesn’t appear to have closed the gap on the incumbent Nick Allen. If the A’s go with Allen, as is expected, Hernaiz is still likely to get an opportunity later in the season. In the meantime, Hoy Park (21-for-42, 5 2B) continues to make a strong case for a roster spot.

Joe Boyle has 15 BB in 18.1 innings this spring and it’s possible that he’s still the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot. Despite the walks, he had a 2.93 ERA after five starts. But he allowed 7 runs in his last outing, so now it’s not just the walks that are ugly. They could turn to Rule 5 pick Mitch Spence or maybe their No. 5 starter will be someone currently outside the organization. UPDATE 3/27: Boyle will be the No. 5 starter.

Zach Jackson, Michael Kelly, and Tyler Ferguson appear to be in a battle for two bullpen spots, although the A’s could continue to look for outside help as they did with the Adams acquisition. UPDATE 3/26: T.J. McFarland was acquired from the Dodgers and added to the 40-man roster. That leaves one spot up for grabs in the bullpen. UPDATE 3/27: Jackson was optioned.

UPDATE 3/25: Hernaiz has made the team. He will fill a bench role with occasional starts at SS and 3B. UPDATE 3/27: Park will not make the team. The backup catcher job is still undecided. Joey Bart  or Eric Haase seem like feasible trade targets. UPDATE 3/28: Kyle McCann won the backup catcher’s job. Kelly won the final bullpen spot.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Seattle Mariners
Recent Developments: 

•None

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (2)

The lineup and bench look pretty much set, but Brian Anderson and Taylor Trammell (out of options) are doing their best to stay in the competition until the end. UPDATE 3/25: Anderson has been released.

Tyson Miller, Cody Bolton, Collin Snider, and Eduard Bazardo are fighting for two bullpen openings created by the injuries to Matt Brash and Gregory Santos.

UPDATE 3/26: Bryan Woo (elbow inflammation) will begin the season on the 15-Day IL. Emerson Hancock will take his spot in the rotation. UPDATE 3/28: Bolton and Snider made the team. Bazardo was placed on the 15-Day IL.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Texas Rangers
Recent Developments: 

•Corey Seager and Josh Jung made appearances in Saturday’s game and could be ready to go on Opening Day.
•Wyatt Langford made the team.
•Michael Lorenzen signed a one-year contract. The plan is for him to be in the rotation, although he’s not likely to be ready for Opening Day.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (2-3)

If Seager and/or Jung are on the Opening Day roster, chances become very slim for Jose Barrero and Justin Foscue. UPDATE: Foscue was optioned.

Assuming Lorenzen begins the season in the minors, the Rangers could have three spots open in the bullpen. Marc Church and Grant Anderson have been impressive while Jacob Latz would give them a second lefty. Yerry Rodríguez is also making a case with his ability to throw multiple innings. He also had an immaculate inning (3 strikeouts on 9 pitches) on Sunday. UPDATE 3/25: Church was optioned. UPDATE 3/26: Jose Ureña has made the team, which could be an indication that Michael Lorenzen will not be on the Opening Day roster to begin the season. The team was reportedly going to make a decision on his status after he threw a bullpen on Tuesday. If he isn’t on the Opening Day roster, he would likely join the team soon thereafter. UPDATE 3/27: Latz and Rodriguez have made the team. Lorenzen will start the season on the 15-Day IL (strained neck); Barrero has been outrighted to the minors.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

NL EAST

Atlanta Braves
Recent Developments:

•None

Decisions remaining:

•RP (1)

UPDATE 3/25: Jesse Chavez signed a minor league deal on Monday and will likely be added to the 26-man roster before Opening Day. Jackson Stephens could lose his spot on the 26-man and 40-man roster as the corresponding moves. UPDATE 3/26: Stephens was outrighted to the minors, seemingly opening a spot for Chavez. UPDATE 3/28: Chavez made the team.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Miami Marlins
Recent Developments:

•Max Meyer will be recalled and is the leading candidate to be the team’s No. 5 starter.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (3)

Anthony Maldonado, Declan Cronin, Bryan Hoeing, Vladimir Gutierrez, and Calvin Faucher are in the mix for the final bullpen spots. UPDATE 3/27: Cronin has made the team. UPDATE 3/27: Burch Smith was acquired from the Rays and will be added to the 40-man roster. It’s unclear if he’ll be on the 26-man roster. He has one option remaining. UPDATE 3/27: Maldonado and Faucher were optioned and Gutierrez was reportedly informed that he wouldn’t be on the roster. Thus, the expectation is that Smith will be added to the 26-man roster.

UPDATE 3/27: Berti was traded to the Marlins, opening up a bench spot. Xavier Edwards is the lone player remaining in camp, but he hasn’t played since 3/5 due to a foot injury. Dane Myers is a candidate to return. He was optioned on 3/22. UPDATE 3/28: Jonah Bride was recalled to take Berti’s spot.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

New York Mets
Recent Developments: 

•J.D. Martinez signed to MLB deal. He’s expected to begin the season in Triple-A and could join the Mets around the second week of April.
•Mark Vientos was optioned to the minors.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (2)

With Vientos starting in Triple-A, Zack Short will serve as a utilityman role while DJ Stewart could get a very narrow window to prove that last season’ success is much more meaningful than his poor spring numbers. The team hasn’t ruled out an acquisition from outside the organization, but the team should be able to get some production out of the DH spot between whichever catcher isn’t starting (Francisco Alvarez or Omar Narváez), Stewart, and Tyrone Taylor until Martinez is ready to go. UPDATE 3/27: Stewart has made the team.

Two of Sean Reid-Foley, Michael Tonkin, and Yohan Ramírez will be part of the Mets’ bullpen and the other will be traded or placed on waivers. All three are out of options. UPDATE 3/28: Tonkin and Ramirez made the team. Reid-Foley was placed on the 15-Day IL.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Philadelphia Phillies
Recent Developments: 

•Taijuan Walker (shoulder impingement) will begin the season on the 15-Day IL. Spencer Turnbull will take his spot in the rotation.
•Jake Cave was traded to the Rockies for cash considerations.

Decisions remaining:

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Washington Nationals
Recent Developments: 

•Eddie Rosario, Jesse Winker, and Matt Barnes all made the team. UPDATE 3/26: Rosario is expected to play CF vs RHP (at least to begin the season) with Winker in LF.

Decisions remaining:
•Bench (1)

The final spot is between Rule 5 pick Nasim Nuñez (5-for-33) and spring training star Trey Lipscomb, who is 20-for-50 and looks more like a contender for the starting 2B or 3B job rather than a bench spot. While he deserves a spot on the MLB roster, he isn’t likely to supplant any of the projected starters (at least not yet). After all, he had a .730 OPS between Double-A and High-A last season. He could, however, get plenty of at-bats between all four infield spots and quickly give the Nats a better idea of whether his spring performance was a fluke or not. UPDATE 3/26: Nunez made the team. Lipscomb was reassigned to the minors. He’ll play every day in Triple-A.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs
Recent Developments:

•Garrett Cooper made the team.
•Dominic Smith and Carl Edwards Jr. opted out of their contracts.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1-2)
•Bullpen (1)

If Nick Madrigal, who returned to action on Sunday after missing two weeks with a hamstring strain, can be ready for Opening Day, that would leave one spot for Miles Mastrobuoni, Alexander Canario, and David Peralta.

If the Cubs want a second lefty in their bullpen, Luke Little has the edge. If they are prioritizing innings, Hayden Wesneski would likely fill the spot as a long reliever.

UPDATE: While Peralta is playing in games as the DH, the Cubs won’t roster him until he can play in the outfield. And he’s not there yet. He underwent elbow surgery in October. UPDATE: Canario will not make the team, which likely means that Madrigal will avoid an IL stint and the lineup and bench are set. UPDATE: Wesneski will not make the team, which means that the bullpen is set with Little taking the last spot.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Cincinnati Reds
Recent Developments:

•None

Decisions remaining:

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

 

Milwaukee Brewers
Recent Developments: 

•Jackson Chourio made the team.
•Joey Wiemer was optioned to the minors.
•Taylor Clarke (knee discomfort) will likely begin the season on the 15-Day IL.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Bullpen (2)

Unless the Brewers carry three catchers, Eric Haase will likely be on the trade block. He should have plenty of suitors after going 14-for-37 with four homers this spring.

Two of Bryan Hudson, Thyago Vieira (out of options), and J.B. Bukauskas are expected to fill the bullpen vacancies created by the injuries to Clarke and Devin Williams. UPDATE 3/28: Bukauskas was optioned.

UPDATE 3/26: Garrett Mitchell (fractured hand) will begin the season on the 10-Day IL. As things stand, Haase would make the team and the lineup/bench are set. UPDATE 3/28: Haase was DFAd. Oliver Dunn was recalled to take the final bench spot.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Pittsburgh Pirates
Recent Developments: 

•Liover Peguero was optioned to the minors, all but ensuring that Jared Triolo will open the season as the starting 2B.
•Colin Holderman (illness) and Carmen Mlodzinski (forearm tightness) are expected to open the season on the 15-Day IL.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (1)
•Rotation (2)
•Bullpen (2-3)

The bench appears set, but non-roster invitees Billy McKinney and Gilberto Celestino have each made a strong case and are still under consideration.

Jared Jones did not allow an earned run all spring (16.1 IP, 3 unearned runs) and he still might not break camp with the big league team. Luis Ortiz, Bailey Falter, and Quinn Priester are also candidates for the last two rotation spots.

At least two of Brent Honeywell Jr., Hunter Stratton, Wily Peralta, and Ryder Ryan could be part of the Pirates’ bullpen on Opening Day.

UPDATE 3/25: Jones and Ortiz will be the No. 4 and No. 5 starters. Falter, Stratton and Ryan have also made the team. CORRECTION: Falter will be in the rotation and Ortiz will pitch out of the bullpen. Without their best right-handed setup men (Holderman, Mlodzinski) to begin the season, it will be interesting to see how often the Pirates go with the hard-throwing Ortiz in high-leverage situations.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

St. Louis Cardinals
Recent Developments: 

•Victor Scott II was reassigned to the minors. Dylan Carlson will be the starting CF to begin the season.
•Zack Thompson will be in the rotation.
•Matthew Liberatore will pitch out of the bullpen.

UPDATE 3/26: Carlson suffered a sprained shoulder in Monday’s game and will begin the season on the 10-Day IL. Scott will be added to the roster and will likely be the team’s Opening Day CF.

Decisions remaining:

•Bullpen (1)

John King (8 IP, 7 ER, 15 H) is still in the running for a spot, but appears to be the odd man out behind Rule 5 pick Ryan Fernandez. UPDATE 3/27: King was optioned.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

NL WEST

Arizona Diamondbacks
Recent Developments:

•Eduardo Rodriguez (strained lat) will begin the season on the 15-Day IL.
•Tucker Barnhart will be the backup catcher. Jose Herrera was optioned.
•Andrew Saalfrank was optioned to the minors.

Decisions remaining:

•Bench (2)
•Rotation (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Two of Blaze Alexander, Emmanuel Rivera (out of options), and Jake McCarthy will fill out the bench. There isn’t much need for another left-handed hitting outfielder, though, and there are likely at-bats for both Alexander and Rivera versus left-handed pitching.

Either Tommy Henry or Bryce Jarvis will be the No. 5 starter. It’s also possible that they both make the roster and one will be in a long relief/piggyback role, leaving Luis Frias as the odd man out. UPDATE 3/25: Paul Sewald (strained oblique) will start the season on the 15-Day IL. Kevin Ginkel is now the favorite for save chances. While the choice for the rotation has not been announced, there is now space for Henry, Jarvis, and Frias to make the team. UPDATE 3/26: Henry will be in the rotation and is set to start the team’s third game of the season. UPDATE 3/28: Alexander and McCarthy made the team. Rivera was DFAd.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day projection    Opening Day tracker

Colorado Rockies
Recent Developments:

•Jake Cave was acquired from the Phillies.
•Peter Lambert will pitch out of the bullpen as the long reliever.

Decisions remaining:

•Starting 1B/LF/RF (1)
•Bullpen (1)

The acquisition of Cave could further shake things up with the one lineup spot that did not appear to be set in stone. Sean Bouchard was expected to be the starting RF, but he hasn’t had a great camp (9-for-43, HR, 16 K) while Michael Toglia, Elehuris Montero, and now Cave offer alternatives. The ability of Kris Bryant to play in the outfield would open up more at-bats for Montero, but it’s also possible that Cave and/or Toglia win the starting RF job and Bouchard ends up on the bench or Triple-A. UPDATE 3/26: Toglia made the team. Bouchard was optioned. How the at-bats are distributed is still to be determined. Toglia, Cave, and Bryant can all play either first base or corner outfield while Montero is limited to 1B/DH.

Matt Carasiti (8 IP, 0 R) versus Victor Vodnik (9.2 IP, 11 ER) doesn’t seem like much of a contest, but those appear to be the last two standing for one bullpen spot. UPDATE 3/25: Carasiti was reassigned to the minors. Barring any last-minute transactions, Vodnik has made the team. UPDATE 3/26: Justin Lawrence will be the team’s closer to begin the season. There was a chance that Tyler Kinley could’ve won the job or they could’ve shared the role.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

Los Angeles Dodgers
Recent Developments: 

•J.P. Feyereisen, Landon Knack, and Gus Varland were optioned to the minors.
•Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, and James Paxton will be added to the roster and are scheduled to pitch the team’s 2nd, 4th, and 5th games, respectively.

Decisions remaining:

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

San Diego Padres
Recent Developments: 

•None

Decisions remaining:

•Rotation (1)
•Bullpen (1)

Candidates for the No. 5 spot include Matt Waldron, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez. UPDATE: Waldron will begin the season as the team’s No. 5 starter. UPDATE 3/25: Vasquez and Jeremiah Estrada were optioned. There appears to be one bullpen spot up for grabs between Brito and Adrian Morejon. UPDATE 3/28: Brito made the team. morejon was optioned.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

San Francisco Giants
Recent Developments: 

None

Decisions remaining:

•Starting SS
•Bench (1-2)
•Rotation (1)
•Bullpen (2)

Marco Luciano is trying his best to make up some ground in the shortstop battle with seven hits (2 HR, 2 2B) in his last 13 at-bats. It probably won’t be enough, but he’ll have a chance to take the job from Nick Ahmed later in the season. UPDATE 3/27: Luciano was optioned. It appears that Ahmed will be the starting SS.

If Austin Slater (elbow) isn’t ready for Opening Day, the Giants could break camp with both Tyler Fitzgerald and Luis Matos. If he is ready, the versatile Fitzgerald likely has an edge over Matos.

With Blake Snell unlikely to be ready for the team’s first turn through the rotation, it’s likely that Mason Black, Daulton Jefferies, or Landen Roupp will make at least one start. It’s also possible that all three are on the roster. Juan Sanchez and Nick Avila have also made a strong case to be part of the Opening Day bullpen. UPDATE 3/26: Black and Sanchez were reassigned to the minors. UPDATE 3/27: Erik Miller is still in the mix for a bullpen spot despite being optioned on 3/11. If Snell isn’t on the Opening Day roster, it’s possible that Jefferies, Avila, Roupp, and Miller all make the team. UPDATE 3/28: Bart, Miller, and Roupp made the team. Miller was recalled.

Roster is set, barring any injuries or last-minute transactions.

Opening Day roster projection    Opening Day tracker

 

Minor League Report

Major League Debuts 

• Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres: 0-for-3   3/20/24
• Graham Pauley, 3B, San Diego Padres: 0-for-1, K  3/20/24
  
• Yuki Matsui, RP, San Diego Padres: 0.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, K  3/20/24
  
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: IP, 5 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K  3/21/24
  
• Stephen Kolek, RP, San Diego Padres: 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 0 H, BB  3/21/24

Promotions (March 20 -): Top 101 Prospects

• Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres #30  MLB 3/20/24