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
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