RosterResource Chat – 1/17/25

Jason Martinez: Welcome to the RosterResource Live Chat! Let’s get it started.

Ira: Any update on Nimmo’s plantar fascitis?  Can we really expect he will be fully healthy for spring training?

Jon Becker: Hi everyone, welcome! Haven’t seen anything on Nimmo, but I do know that in general plantar fasciitis is extremely annoying and can flare up for years, so he might just have to manage it for awhile. Part of the appeal of Winker is that he can fill in in LF/RF too

Broken Bat: It sure looks like RedSox have no interest in Anthony breaking camp and heading north with the Refsnyder extension. So they wait and gain that year of control? So a mid May promotion should Roman continue to hit in AAA? Thoughts?…

Jason Martinez: Refsndyer is a 4th OF/platoon vs LHP. Roman Anthony will be a starting OF when he gets called up. So there’s no correlation there. I imagine he’ll have a chance in Spring Training but having all of this depth makes it easier to not rush him (and also pushes back his service time by a year if they don’t call him up for about 2 weeks; any fan of a team would love 6+ years of their best prospect rather than 6).

Jon Becker: I’d be more surprised to see Anthony make the OD roster than Campbell, but certainly not unlikely or infeasible by any means for sure.

Guest: Austin Warren was a strange super 2.  He was with SF and they quickly agreed to close if not league minimum salary.  He was DFA’d  a short time later and subsequently claimed by the Mets.  RR depth charts has Warren at AAA.  How is Warren paid?  Does he receive his MLB min. salary at AAA if he remains on the 40 man roster?  Is it prorated if remains at AAA? lastly, if Warrens’ contract is prorated, why does Myles Straw get his full contract after being removed from the 40 man roster and relegated to AAA before being dumped on the blue jays for international $?

Jon Becker: Complicated one here but I’ll try to be succinct. Arbitration-year contracts that are agreed to (not deciding in hearing) are fully guaranteed, BUT Warren agreed to an MiLB split on his contract. So if he’s in the majors he gets paid at a $775K rate, $350K in the minors. Straw gets his full contract because it was a fully guaranteed extension, removing a player from the 40-man doesn’t mean the team can pay him less. If it did, teams would try it a lot more often!

jaygray007: At this point, Ha Seong Kim – O/U 1.5 years on a deal?   O/U 10 million per year?

Jason Martinez: I still think he gets a multi-year deal. Teams should know who he is. There is uncertainty regarding his shoulder but that should be just for the first couple months of the season. A 1-year deal seems more risky than locking him up for 3+ because there’s a chance he’s not back to full strength until 2nd half.

Jon Becker: Boras is generally pretty good with the “players coming off injury” contracts, having gotten Conforto and Hoskins pretty good two-year deals where they could opt out after one. I think Kim could be looking at something similar, maybe where the player option escalates in value depending on how many games he’s able to play in.

jaygray007: What do you think ends up happening with Starling Marte?  Mets just keep him as a strong bench presence and thats that?

Jon Becker: Probably just that. Mike Puma reported yesterday they tried to work out a trade to a team who would play him more but they couldn’t work it out. He’ll still play all the time against lefties as things currently sit.

AL Central Casting: Chances Walker Jenkins sees big league action in 2025? Chances it’s before September?

Jason Martinez: He’s a bit under the radar in regards to 2025 because he’s only played a few games above Hi-A. But he’s considered one of the best prospects in baseball. If he crushes it in AA/AAA and the Twins OF is struggling just a bit, we’ll be hearing about it all the time. So it’s really up to him and he’s the type of prospect who’ll jump to the front of the line when he’s ready. I’d still guess 2026 but wouldn’t rule him out for August/September.

jaygray007: You don’t have to think super hard about this, but I’m just curious what comes to mind when i say to predict the homes of:   Santander, Profar, Verdugo, Grichuk

Jon Becker: My off-the-top-of-my-head picks here would be Santander to the Mets, Padres figure out how to bring Profar back, Verdugo to the Pirates, Grichuk to the Guardians.

Broken Bat: Profar would actually deepen Cubs options a whole bunch in regards to roster construction. Why not?

Jason Martinez: They already have 4 OF (Happ, PCA, Tucker, Suzuki). Profar should be playing everyday and shouldn’t have a difficult time finding an everyday job. I imagine he’s waiting for the Padres but could also have a few other offers to be a team’s regular LF.

Jon Becker: I suppose he could play first but then the Cubs would have to move Busch over to third, where he was really bad as a prospect.

Toronto Fan: Do you like the Myles Straw trade? If Blue Jays miss out on Sasaki, do you think they pivot to Dodger signings?

Jon Becker: I like it for the Blue Jays if it’s what tips the scale for Sasaki for them, but it would be good to have that extra cash to go after players the Dodgers drop, too. Not sure who the Guardians would have signed with that extra $2M in bonus pool but it’s a good way to get the Straw money off the books, especially if they do something with it.

Matthew: What do you see the Twins doing with their rotation? Do Woods Richardson and Paddack make the rotation over Festa and Matthews?

Jason Martinez: I don’t think SWR is quite to the level of “he’s never going back to AAA” so he’ll have to hold off the competition in camp. But I do think he goes in to camp ahead of the others. They’ve been waiting on Paddack. He’s out of options so the Twins will give him every opportunity to win the spot. Festa and Zebby will be needed at some point. Not necessarily in April.

jaygray007: jurickson profar: over or under $30 million guaranteed?

Jon Becker: Over, but not by much. I thought at the start of the offseason he could’ve done as well as 4/64 (though I had more like 3/45 in mind) and now I’m thinking something like two years for $30M-$32M.

drplantwrench: what does the dodgers 6 man rotation look like when they sign roki?

Jason Martinez: Dodgers are probably the one team that needs to go with a straight 6-man rotation because of all the question marks. Just about every other team will likely use a spot-starter when they play more than 5 days in a row. With that said, I think they’d go … Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sasaki, Gonsolin, May … and then Ohtani would jump in there at some point (early-to-mid May).

But I’m really hoping he goes to Toronto, in which case they’d go Gausman, Berrios, Francis, Bassitt, Sasaki with Yariel Rodriguez bouncing back and forth between rotation/bullpen.

Pete Alonso: Do you think my market should be a wake up call to Vladdy jr, or does his age get him to $400 million?

Jon Becker: I don’t see Pete and Vlad as particularly comparable at all. Yes, they’re both righty-hitting 1B, but if Guerrero repeats his 2024 he’ll be coming off 11 WAR in two years entering his age-27 season. Alonso’s coming off 5.9 WAR in two years entering his age-30 season.

Save the 1st baseman: WAR and HOF voters underestimate the value of 1B. Garvey, Mattingly, Hernandez were some of the most famous and accomplished of their era’s, how can they be kept out of the hall?

Jason Martinez: They were kept off the ballot because they didn’t hit certain milestones (hits, HR). It’s not WAR that kept them off. And it will be the veteran’s committee that decides if they eventually get in. But, yeah, those dudes were impact players in their era (All-Star level, great defense, personality, clutch) and deserve to be in. They’d have my vote.

Eric (Not Longenhagen): O/U on the number of games Austin Wells plays for the Yankees this year.  No veteran like Trevino to split time and no Agustin Ramirez pushing through the minors

Jon Becker: Maybe something like 114.5? Cal Raleigh led the league with 125 starts at catcher, and Wells made 96 last year. 20ish games would be a big jump but he’s not exactly jockeying for playing time now, you’re right.

TheBabbo: Can you please explain the relationship (if any) between the team Roster Resource and Depth Charts pages? I had thought the RR pages were a rough summary of a team’s lineup situation based on the more detailed DC playing time, but the disclaimer at the top of the DC pages makes it sound like there’s no real connection.

Jason Martinez: RosterResource displays a projected Opening Day roster. Depth Charts shows the breakdown of playing time projections by position/overall and lists in order of PT by position. Looking at both is helpful because they’re very different things (Opening Day vs 162 games). I’m responsible for updating both so there is definitely a connection.

Jack Flaherty: Do you think speaking up for union representation change hurt my market?

Jon Becker: Nah, I don’t think so. I’d be very surprised to learn teams really care about those things when evaluating — there are certainly intangibles they look at but I don’t think being an outspoken union rep is one of them at all. I think what could be hurting his market is the back injuries he kept fighting through and the downturn in his stuff after the move to LA.

AJ Preller: Since we’re signing intl players other than Sasaki, do we shop Cease or is it less likely we move a pitcher now?

Jason Martinez: I’ve been saying that I thought Cease would be staying put if they got Sasaki. Without him, they become more desperate to fill out their roster with (seemingly) not a lot of $. So how do you add 2 hitters and 1-2 SP without adding to payroll? Trading Cease to fill 2 holes and free up $13MM would be a big part of it.

Clubhouse Presence: Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes must have great workplace skills. Is there anyway both or either one of them get DFA’d in their final guaranteed years?

Jon Becker: Taylor’s definitely possible (though he was actually pretty good down the stretch), I don’t think so for Barnes. They view Rushing as more of a left fielder now and Smith is the starter, of course, so dumping Barnes for a very, very marginal improvement considering how little a backup catcher plays probably wouldn’t go over well in the clubhouse.

Idiotic Failson: Jacob Wilson going to get close to full time run this year?

Jason Martinez: Seems like it. As of now, they have Hernaiz, Schuemann, and the other Max Muncy as the backup plan. But those guys aren’t going to be the starting SS unless Wilson struggles. So it’s Wilson’s job to lose.

William Zych: Jon what do you think about John Means? Previous All Star with elite level performance, but injury history. Can he land a major league deal?

Jon Becker: I think he’ll get one of those two-year rehab contracts, something like Patrick Sandoval but probably quite a bit less money since he had back-to-back Tommy John surgeries and will miss most or all of 2025, whereas Sandoval could be back for the second half. He might be waiting until Spring Training opens so teams can make room by placing someone on the 60-day IL, then immediately placing him on the 60-day IL when they need the next spot.

Guy: Is Cincy serious about McClain in the outfield? Or will he still reside in the middle infield?

Jason Martinez: From what it sounds like, they just have a bunch of guys who they believe can play multiple positions (even if they’ve never played there before) and it will be up to Francona to figure it out on a daily basis. Depth is important. But I’m hoping there’s one more big move there that will clear things up going into Spring Training.

Justin: Do you expect a marte and winker split at DH for the Mets, or do you expect another move. Thanks!

Jon Becker: I do think they’ll add another hitter, but it’s likelier to be for 3B or 1B than something that changes that plan at DH, IMO.

drplantwrench: do the angels make any other moves? what is the one you would do if you replaced perry for a day?

Jason Martinez: For sure. I think they make 1-2 more big adds to their MLB roster. Maybe Jack Flaherty and one of the relievers. Kenley Jansen would be fun. What would I do? I’d add some veterans who take great at-bats (David Peralta, Justin Turner). Makes a big difference. Gotta keep the line moving!

Guy: Does Xavier Isaac have a path to meaningful playing time in 2025 or is he 2026/beyond?

Jon Becker: Probably not, since he struck out a ton in AA last year so I’m thinking he’ll start there again this year and have to prove he can conquer AA and probably AAA too before a promotion. Maybe a September call-up but he’d really have to tear it up to push that timeline up (and the Rays would have to sell at the deadline, too).

Dustin May: Do I pitch in the bullpen, swingman role, rotation or get traded?

Jason Martinez: My guess (barring another injury) is rotation, then swingman, then bullpen to finish out the season. Dustin May closing out games would not be fun for opponents.

E: Is tampa going with a 6 man rotation? Will mcclanahan and rasmussen basically start all year with some occasional skips and some more abbreviated starts?

Jon Becker: I haven’t seen anything official on this, but we’ve got them projected for one right now, and it certainly makes sense with McClanahan and Rasmussen coming off injury. I could definitely see them both going on the Crochet plan of some extended rest and some three-inning starts just to stay on schedule. That rest could really help everyone; only Littell had more than 150 MLB innings last year.

Jason Martinez: “Occasional skips and abbreviated starts” will be part of every team’s strategy.

Felix: Can Ramos get decent playing time in SF?

Jason Martinez: Even if the Giants did something big like sign Pete Alonso, there is a clear path for Ramos to be the everyday LF. The main concern is that he wasn’t very good vs RHP last season (.673 OPS, 88 wRC+ in 395 PA). But unless they acquire another OF or someone like Luis Matos breaks out, he should begin the season playing most days.

Michael: How much WAR can a team signing Sasaki expect in year 1? Would he be considered a middle of the rotation arm at first or Skenes-level impact immediately?

Jon Becker: 2 WAR feels about right, more because of volume than getting hit around. I’m not sure he’d throw much more than 100 innings.

Rayball10: Sorry if I missed it, but what is Kjerstad’s 2025 outlook?

Jason Martinez: Not a clear path to everyday playing time barring a trade, but he could get 3-5 starts per week on the current roster.

L.A. Williams: Who will have the IP in 2025?  Rank in confidence: Sean Burke, Joey Cantillo. Sean McGreevey, Keider Montero, I Seymour

Jon Becker: In order of most to fewest innings, I’ll say Burke, Montero, Cantillo, McGreevy (I assume you mean Michael?), Seymour

E: Does Kumar rocker make the rotation and if not, is he starting in the minors or relieving in the majors until they give him another look? How many mlb starts do you think he gets?

Jason Martinez: For now, I have him in the minors. He looks like a MLB pitcher and Rangers talk about him like he’s a big part of the club. But I’m assuming he’ll be limited this season and it’s easier to have him start a bit later so he’s available when it matters most. My guess is they just hold him back in spring training and start ramping him up so he’s ready to go every 6-7 days in the majors around mid-May.

Guest: Jett Williams got injured in the last game in AFL.  I haven’t heard how serious the injury was?

Jon Becker: Looks like just an ankle sprain, didn’t see anything on the severity but he should surely be just fine for Spring Training.

Kate: I assume the As back of rotation is probably a spring training battle anyway, but curious what has you all leaning Estes in over Bido?

Jason Martinez: Not much (it really is a wide-open competition as of now) other than Estes was one of their better prospects with some upside and he held his own as a rookie. Bido is 29 and looked good in a small sample. We’ll see how things go. I’m sure they’re happy that Bido seems like a guy who will be fine if they needed him to jump into the rotation.

Wants Moore Bliss: What do you think the shakeout of playing time will be between Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss, and Donovan Solano in Seattle? Or, is there another infielder they might add to the mix still?

Jason Martinez: I don’t think they’re done. Ideally, Solano isn’t the everyday 3B. He’s still decent over there but probably best starting 3-4 times per week. Moore is best-suited as a super utilityman. Bliss could be an everyday 2B but I don’t think the Mariners are in a position to just hope that happens in 2025. Cole Young could be the ex-factor. He could be the starting 2B at some point in 2025.

Colton: Any reason why the White Sox shouldn’t start the year with Colson on the roster? I’m doing a lot of hopeful projecting with this one, but he’s their only option that could conceivably win ROY and he’s already on the 40. Why wouldn’t they want a chance at that extra draft pick?

Jason Martinez: He wasn’t very good last season (.710 OPS, 88 wRC+) in AAA, which is the only reason I don’t have him penciled in at SS right now. He has a clear path to win the job and the expectation is that he becomes their starting SS at some point in 2025. Not sure if Baldwin is a SS. He’s played 2B, 3B, and SS. Same with Chase Meidroth. He’s played 2B, 3B, and SS but not sure if either of those guys is considered a legit starting SS in the majors. But both of those guys put up big numbers in the upper minors.

Jason Martinez: That will do it for today. Thanks for joining us. Back next week at the same time.