Once upon a time—well, like, five years ago—September roster expansions were full-blown parties. Back in the day when August ended, teams could immediately put anybody and everybody from their larger 40-man roster on the big league roster. It made for a cramped clubhouse and a sometimes weird vibe during the last month of the season.
Those days are over. This year, that’s particularly important, because the Kansas City Royals have some interesting decisions they have to make soon.
Nowadays, September roster expansions mean that the active roster grows modestly from 26 players to 28 players. Of those 28 athletes, 14 of which can be pitchers. Considering that most teams–the Royals included–run with 13 pitchers during the regular season, that means that Kansas City will be able to add one pitcher and one hitter.
By itself, that is going to be an interesting decision the team must make. Jonathan Bowlan has been up and down the I-29 corridor all year and is an easy candidate to take the pitching opening. Luinder Avila is another candidate; Avila made his debut recently and could see a longer look towards the end of the year. Kansas City acquired Steven Kolek at the deadline but had to put him at Triple-A Omaha, so the expanded rosters could be his ticket to the Show.
On the hitter side, Omaha is littered with guys who have gotten shots with the Royals this year. Most of those guys probably won’t get the call. But Luca Tresh and Carter Jensen have both shown enough this year that either could take the role as a third catcher, and Dairon Blanco’s speed is always an option.
That’s six guys for two roster spots. And as the 2am infomercials say: but wait—there’s more.
A few key Royals are set to return from injury in the coming weeks. Michael Massey and Jac Caglianone have been sidelined for a while, and both are currently rehabbing in Omaha. Massey’s rehab ends on August 29, while Caglianone’s ends on September 1. Steven Cruz hit the 15-day injured list at the beginning of August and could be ready for a rehab assignment before the season ends. Most notably, Kansas City ace Cole Ragans is ramping up with an eye to return to the rotation before the end of the year.
Hunter Harvey also could theoretically be ready to return at some point in September, too, although considering his injury history, it’s probably not worth banking on. Putting Harvey aside, that means that there are up to 10 guys who could get a roster spot and maybe would have in a world with full 40-man September rosters. But we live in the world we live in, so there are two additional spots.
The key word here is additional spots. The Royals could demote or cut some folks on the current roster to create some more roster spots, and they will. Let’s take a look.
Likely Royals September roster additions
Jac Caglianone was one of the top prospects in baseball and is a key part of the Royals’ future. It seems pretty likely he will be up when he’s ready. Carter Jensen makes a lot of sense as a third catcher. Salvador Perez, Luke Maile, and Luca Tresh are all righties, and Jensen’s left-handed hitting gives him a leg up here. He’s hit well and a third catcher would provide for more pinch-hitting and running flexibility.Cole Ragans will be on the team when he’s ready. He’s Kansas City’s best pitcher, after all.Steven Cruz took a step forward this year and is a better option than some other pitchers. When he’s healthy, he’ll be here. Jonathan Bowlan can’t be optioned to the minors again without going through waivers. But he’s been the first reliever up all year and that won’t change.
Likely Royals September roster cuts or demotions
Michael Massey simply can’t be trusted to stay healthy or be productive. Frazier provides a higher floor and positional versatility that Massey doesn’t have, and is a lefty bat. There’s no role for Massey to play in. Nick Loftin has a .198/.278/.290 triple slash over the last two years and doesn’t hit lefties well enough to earn a platoon spot. His role has mostly been replaced by Randal Grichuk. Sam Long has been bad this year and would be the fourth lefty in the bullpen.
Royals September roster prediction
What does it look like with everything taken into consideration? This is my best guess.
Starting pitchers: Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Ryan BergertRelievers: Carlos Estevez, Lucas Erceg, Taylor Clarke, Bailey Falter, Michael Lorenzen, Daniel Lynch IV, John Schreiber, Angel Zerpa, Steven CruzCatchers: Salvador Perez, Luke Maile, Carter JensenInfield: Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac CaglianoneOutfield: Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Kyle Isbel, John RaveUtility: Adam Frazier, Tyler Tolbert
Now, I am making some assumptions here. The Royals could be uncomfortable with one right-handed batter (Grichuk) in the outfield. They could also just not see Jensen as ready for prime time. And I am guessing that Kansas City prefers Bergert to Lorenzen in the rotation.
In any case, the Royals have some decisions to make. And soon.