RosterResource Chat – 4/9/26

Jason Martinez: Welcome to the RosterResource Chat! All 4 MiLB levels are playing, which means our MiLB Power Rankings Leaderboard is starting to look interesting. MiLB levels are cleaned up, for the most part, on the RR pages. Now we get to have a fun baseball discussion here …

Mike: Clemens or Roden…. Who would be your first baseman until the twins actually develop one?

Jon Becker: Unless I missed something about the Twins trying Roden back at first (I don’t think he’s played there since college) I’d have to pick Clemens by default. But it’s highly likely that their next good homegrown first baseman is someone who’s not playing first base right now. A lot of those guys get drafted as corner outfielders or third basemen and end up moving down the defensive spectrum.

Guest: What are your thoughts on Murakami right now? He had an amazing series against the Brewers, but has a .524 OPS after.

Jason Martinez: If it was all bad or all good, there shouldn’t have been any overreaction. But this is pretty much what would be expected throughout his rookie season, except we’re only 2 weeks in. A lot of strikeouts, walks, and homers. A lot of ups and downs. A lot of learning to do at 1B. Most important thing for him will be adjustments and if he can become more consistent as the season goes along.

Guest: when you’re trying to sort out early season closer chaos, how much attention are you paying to reliever usage vs results vs stuff/quality?  Like, how often are you listing a committee because you can’t believe their best reliever isn’t in the mix even though the chances are going to other guys?

Jon Becker: Most important to me is usage; a manager’s going to let you know how he views his guys regardless of performance, even if he’s not going to the media and saying “this guy’s my closer.” And a lot of time the usage lines up with stuff/results mismatch, maybe a reliever just had a bad outing or two but the stuff looks just as good. But re: your point about committees, we try not to be too overreactive to one guy getting a save or two. But to use the Rays as an example, we’re now getting past more than just one or two bad outings for Jax and Baker was the most recent closer and has pitched well, hence no committee there right now.

Jason Martinez: Definitely a day-to-day thing with how their role is listed. And that changes a lot. But stuff matters when looking a bit down the road. FYI – Jon is close to adding a second row of stats on the Closer Depth Chart that will focus more on stuff. 1st row of stats will continue to show results … https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/closer-depth-chart

Dk: How much more rope does Benge get?

Jason Martinez: This is always the risk of carrying a rookie on the Opening Day roster. A lot of pressure. Slow starts will be magnified. It’s why there was a decent chance he’d start the season in AAA if Mike Tauchman hadn’t gotten hurt. But now that they made the decision to keep him, I think he’ll get a good month of at-bats to get it going. And that probably aligns with Juan Soto’s timetable. If Soto returns and Vientos is still hitting well and Jared Young remains a viable option for an occasional start, I think Benge goes back to AAA at that time if he’s still struggling.

Grandpaboy: What should the Cubs do with their corner outfielders moving forward? I’d lean toward “sign Happ to a reasonable 2-3 year deal and let Suzuki walk,” but should they let Happ walk and plug in Shaw instead…or do something else entirely?

Jon Becker: I think the devil’s in the details here, in that it matters what the numbers are for their next contracts. I tend to think Suzuki probably ages better as a hitter because Happ has a long swing and maintaining production from both sides of the plate is really hard, but Happ’s so good in the outfield and that’s also a consideration. I don’t think they need to consider Shaw too much, in that he’s got the versatility to still play plenty even with the Cubs continuing to lock guys up to long-term deals.

Michael V.: Next top prospects to get the call?

Jason Martinez: One of my favorite RosterResource tools for this particular purpose … MiLB Power Rankings Leaderboard, AAA, Last 7 or 14 days (once we’re a bit further into the season) …

https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/minor-league-power-rankings?…

And then, of course, there are other factors involved. But it’s a good starting point for who is forcing their way into the picture. Two of the top-ranked starters on the list, Didier Fuentes (ATL) and Miguel Ullola (HOU), have great timing because their teams have been hit hard by injuries and could be needed soon.

None of the hitters stand out as immediate call-ups, but some interesting names that are putting themselves in position for a call-up down the road (Tibbs, Max Clark, Antonacci)

Frank: Thanks for all the great work ya’ll do! Do you have some sort of loud phone alert/notification when a transaction happens? Do you have a schedule so one of you is awake at all the time? I swear there are times a transaction happens at like 3am and I happen to be awake, I’m on Roster Resource 5-10 mins later and you’ve already got it in there! Is it automated? If you say its magic I’ll take you at your word

Jon Becker: Jason being on Pacific time and me being on Central time helps a lot, so I can grab stuff early in the morning and Jason’s definitely up when I’m long asleep if something happens late at night. I don’t typically sleep straight through the night so I’ll check my phone in the middle of the night to make sure nothing big happens, but I don’t have Passan notifications blaring in my ear at 1am or anything like that (yet…).

Phil: Do the Red Sox have any decent options to improve offense in their infield, ideally before the deadline? I know they were reluctant to do drastic things over the offseason (like trade Duran for an infielder), but this is starting to look like a potential lost year and it doesn’t make sense to me to just accept that after going out and getting Gray and Suárez.

Jason Martinez: Any sort of shake-up in the immediate future would probably be something less exciting like Nick Sogard getting everyday at-bats over Mayer or Durbin. But Mikey Romero has a chance to get the call at some point. He was overshadowed by Anthony/Mayer/Teel/Campbell but he’s been very good in the minors and already tearing up AAA at age-22. I think they’ll have Mayer and Romero at 3B/2B before the end of 2026.

Kate: Dalton Rushing looking much more like who we thought he was so far.  Is there any way he finds regular PT without an injury or trade?  Such a bummer to watch him sit on the bench.

Mr. Burrito: Is there any way the Dodgers will adjust their roster (whack or trade Alex Call?) to get Rushing more ABs? Obviously, a couple of strong games doesn’t mean he deserves more PT. But his minor league pedigree — and the glimpses he’s shown in MLB — suggest the team would benefit from giving him a semi-runway that he can’t get with Call on the roster.

Jon Becker: I don’t think Call’s inclusion or exclusion on the roster really has anything to do with Rushing, since as of now I haven’t seen any plans to get Rushing back in the outfield or give Smith some infield time. So the only real lever Dave Roberts has with Ohtani DHing every day is how he splits up the time behind the plate, and I’m not sure he’s going to cut into Smith’s playing time. But backup catchers play more than backups at any other position (besides platoon players) so I think it’s more “good problem to have” than “issue” right now.

Johnnie Bay: Any scenario that has James Tibbs in the majors any time soon?

Jason Martinez: Barring an injury, not with the Dodgers. Between Ohtani, Tucker, Teoscar, and Pages, Tibbs is blocked for regular at-bats thru 2027. It would be crazy if a guy this talented is traded 3 times in the span of about one year, but his trade value might be peaking by mid-season.

bkgeneral: How much longer before the Reds do something with that OF?  I just can’t with Steer, Friedl, Benson, and Marte any more.

Jon Becker: I don’t think it’s impossible that they’re too far off from making a move. Friedl’s not going anywhere but at a certain point (May 1?) things have to get better for Benson/Marte or else one of them is in jeopardy of losing his roster spot. Bleday had a nice spring training and has started out hot in Triple-A, and I was surprised to see him not make the roster in the first place.

Tacoby Bellsbury: Tyler Phillips is off to a hot start after a really good year last year. Does this performance stick?

Jason Martinez: He’s been effective (5.2 IP, 0 ER) but he’s only had 3 appearances and I think they were all lower-leverage. And just about every other Marlins reliever has been used in higher-leverage. We’ll see if that changes after the debacle that occurred while Fairbanks was on Paternity Leave. It has been very strange. Phillips is clearly not a favorite of McCullough.

RAGBRAI: Does Del Castillo ever catch for AZ or is he strictly a DH?

Jon Becker: Maybe if they’re up or down by a bunch or if there’s a strategic move that requires putting him back there, but I’d be surprised if he got a start. Moreno is so good back there and McCann has the whole “veteran that pitchers really like throwing to/working with” thing going on.

Ryan: The top 3 players on the DBacks first base depth chart are all on the IL. I saw that Encarnacion-Strand was DFA’d recently – might that be a good risk for them? Or are they better off letting Vargas/Fernandez split time?

Jason Martinez: They’re probably fine with Ildemaro Vargas (he’s batting .500!) and Jose Fernandez for now. I think there will be a lot of interest in CES but only to send him to AAA in the hopes that he can bounce back to what he was a few years ago.

JJ: Out of Waldron, Canning, Sears, McKenzie, who do you see getting meaningful innings for the Padres later in the year?

Jon Becker: Assuming Canning’s Achilles rehab finishes up smoothly (and he just started his rehab assignment so he appears to be progressing nicely), definitely him. He should be a pretty important boost to that rotation with Musgrove’s timeline unclear and Buehler looking particularly shaky. At least Márquez’s second start was much better than his first.

OW: Are the Yankees already regretting not upgrading 3B or SS this offseason?

Chris: Its early but Cab is kind of being exposed as an everyday SS, and considering they play their 3B at short rather than an actual SS in Rosario, Im guessing this all means Volpe is gonna have a really long leash.

Jason Martinez: They probably regret acquiring McMahon and his contract. They would’ve aggressively pursued a 3B this offseason if they hadn’t. But with McMahon and his contract on board, they had to just hope he bounced back.

Caballero has a lot of value as a super-utility guy but those types of guys can often get exposed with regular playing time. I think Rosario is in the same boat. A lot of value in this particular role on a World Series contender. Just not an everyday guy.

They’ll see how Volpe looks when he returns and then make a decision on where they should upgrade by early July. McMahon is still owed another $16MM next season. They probably won’t cut ties yet.

lukacs: How should the Orioles and Adley approach a potential extension? Basallo committed to the team for another eight years, at least, and Adley has been subpar/maybe unwilling to extend. Do you think, a). the Orioles are hesitant to offer an extension, b). Adley is hesitant to sign an extension, or c). none of the actors have a grasp of what’s really going to play out. Basallo looks rough so far this season, but I’d imagine with him around the Orioles are exactly chomping at the bit to have two catchers locked down.

Jon Becker: I frankly don’t think they really ought to approach one. He’s a Boras client so the odds of an extension are incredibly slim anyway, but off of a season-and-a-half of below-average hitting I’m not really rushing to lock him up. The fielding has also backed up from great to merely above-average, and he’ll be a free agent entering his age-30 season. I’d be pretty wary of locking him up into his 30s if he’s not hitting enough to leave room for a position change down the line.

They call me Mr Pibbs: Are the Rangers the worst bullpen in the majors? I struggle to believe they’re serious about Junis closing games but they don’t really have much else to choose from…

Jason Martinez: Believe it or not, they have the 2nd lowest ERA in baseball (1.55). Garcia has been shaky and Martin hasn’t been good, but everyone else has been great. Of course they can’t rely on Junis to be their closer. I think Cole Winn has upside and could take the closer’s job at some point. Having those guys along with Latz, Alexander, and Beeks pitching effectively raises their floor a lot. Cody Bradford is another guy who can be good out of the ‘pen once he returns from the IL. They won’t be a bad team if this holds up. And they can address the closer situation down the road if necessary.

Kate: Tyler O’Neill going to be a part-time guy all year (until he hits the IL)?

Jon Becker: Unless Beavers or Cowser fall off a cliff, probably. I guess O’Neill could hit his way into more time but even the “regular” version of O’Neill probably plays… I dunno, maybe five days a week tops? … to keep him healthy

Alec: Can one of you please reach out to AJ Hinch and let him know that replacing Colt Keith or Kerry Carpenter with Jahmai Jones in the seventh inning isn’t worth losing their at-bat in the ninth inning? Do you expect Wenceel Perez or Max Clark to make a push sooner rather than later for any combo of Jones, Meadows, or Vierling?

Jason Martinez: As someone who is a diehard fan of a team and follows each game as close as possible, I agree that there are a lot of moves that managers make throughout a game that are head-scratchers. It’s not that we know more. We know a lot. Maybe having so much data, personal connections to players, and having the pressure in that moment makes it more difficult for a manager. It’s not an easy job, especially because it can all get magnified if it doesn’t work.

Meadows has been fine and probably just good enough for now. I think Wenceel would be next in line if they decide to move on from any one of those guys. But Clark is definitely putting himself in position to be on this team in 2026. Very early and small sample, but I thought there was a good chance his ETA was 2027. Mid-2026 might be more likely.

FishFan: Jacob Berry has an .864 OPS so far in AAA. Still I don’t see him fitting into the Marlins team at all. Think he’s up this year?

Jon Becker: You never know what’s going to happen with injuries, but he’s just never really hit in the minors and his defense has graded out poorly no matter where they’ve tried him, so I can’t imagine promoting him is a big priority, especially with all the lefty bats they’ve got.

Ryan: How do the giants get more pt for Susac? DH or just too early to tell?

Jason Martinez: He’s getting 1 start per week. Maybe that jumps to 2 in the near future. Bailey is so valuable defensively but it’s quickly turning into an Austin Hedges/Brad Ausmus (for those who remember) situation. How bad of a hitter does this guy have to be before his elite defense no longer matters enough for him to remain a starter?

But even if they think that Susac could be their starting catcher at some point, I’m sure they feel that him watching Bailey on a daily basis is going to help him more than anything right now. The more he plays, the more his bat could be exposed and he could lose focus on the long-term goals.

Wellness check?: what happened to Cade Winquest? He made the roster but hasn’t appeared yet

Jon Becker: Been a long time since the Yankees rostered a Rule 5 guy (2011), and it’s fairly rare for any contending team to do so. Unlike the Blue Jays, who’ve had all those pitching injuries and have needed to lean on their own R5 guy in Spencer Miles, the Yankees have had the fewest RP innings in the league and are playing a lot of close games. So just a matter of finding the right time for Winquest (and it probably won’t be today, currently 0-0 in the 7th inning).

Kate: How long before Richard Fitts gets a rotation shot with the Cards?

Jason Martinez: I’ve guessed that he’s in the rotation for good by mid-to-late May, barring an injury. No reason to change that right now. Dustin May is the only starter who has struggled but he’ll get time to try to figure things out.

Jason Martinez: That will do it for today. Thanks for joining us. Enjoy your weekend!