Wednesday, September 5, 2012

MLB moving to streamline rosters

Here's an interesting article from last night by CBS Sports' Scott Miller, in which Selig and MLB are moving towards a September-only rule change:

Teams would still be free to expand rosters during the final month of the season but would be subject to roster limitations on a nightly basis. Within this, clubs would have to designate which players are eligible before each game.

The most common scenario under discussion is to expand September rosters to 30, with each club's 25-man roster on Aug. 31 being locked in throughout September.

In other words, each team would use that 25-man roster as a base throughout September, and then have the ability to add five minor-leaguers (out of however many are recalled) to its active roster for each game during the season's final month.


Managers seem to be for it. Mattingly asked, "How do you prepare your guys for 17 pitchers?"

What about teams like the Astros, who are enjoying seeing which of their players can actually play? Last night's game took 3:07, and the Astros got 19 players into the game. Does that drag the pace of the game down? Does that "bring down the spirit of competition?"

What say you, dear reader?