RosterResource Chat – 5/21/26

Jason Martinez: Welcome to the RosterResource chat! Reminder that you need a FanGraphs account (membership not required) to sign in and ask a question. It worked fine last week but please let us know if you have any issues.

Here we go …

ankoalec: It sounds like Jared Jones will be able to return to the Pirates within the next week – what do you expect the rotation to look like upon his return? Does Chandler get sent down? Does Mlodzinski move back to a bullpen role, or maybe layer on with Jones initially if they want to build up Jones’ workload? Do they go six man?

Jon Becker: A Jones/Mlodzinski piggyback feels likeliest to me, at least for a turn or two. But if Chandler’s next start is yet another rough one then maybe they change course and send him down, because he’s just not throwing enough strikes and that’s taxing on the bullpen.

Yakety Sox: Thanks as always for these chats. Is Didier in the pen for the foreseeable future?

Jason Martinez: That would be my guess after he got back-to-back days on Monday/Tuesday. With Kinley struggling a bit as of late, Bummer released, and Martin Perez proving to be a reliable SP5, I think the Braves are leaning towards Fuentes being an integral part of the 2026 ‘pen moving forward.

Webster: Two weeks from now, _____ will be the White Sox closer.

Jon Becker: Seranthony Domínguez will still be in that mix despite all the struggles. They’re too rigid with Grant Taylor’s usage (has only worked back-to-back days twice, and both instances were about six weeks ago, and they like to have him for multiple innings often, too) to name him the closer, I’d say. Maybe it’s a co-closer situation and Bryan Hudson can work into that group if there’s a string of lefties, though.

therealbencason: Hey Jason! Thanks for your work bro! If you were a new GM on a new team would you rather start tethered to Bogaerts, Machado and Tatis and their contracts? Or Devers, Chapman and Adames? (Both are rough)

Jason Martinez: It’s a tough one but I’d lean Padres. Only one of those guys (Tatis) is still in his prime and should be for another 5-6 years and he looks completely lost right now. But he’s also the biggest reason the Padres sell out just about every game and I think he’ll figure it out eventually. Machado/Bogaerts are getting paid crazy money until around 40-41 years of age. I wonder if the new owners considered that during their offer. At least $100MM of those deals will be dead money since neither of those guys will age like Justin Turner or Nelson Cruz did.

watertexas8445: If The Password hits for the Pirates, who is the odd man out when O’Hearn returns?

Jon Becker: Billy Cook in all likelihood. Only 21 PAs despite being up for all but a few days of the season and he’s largely a pinch runner and defensive replacement. García isn’t quite as fast but he grades out similarly as a fielder and still fits the “significantly faster than Marcell Ozuna” qualifier to be a pinch runner.

bmfan: Beck out, no outfielder doing great.  Expect Carigg to come up soon in Colorado?   thanks

Jason Martinez: Probably deserves a look now but I’d assume Sterlin Thompson gets an extended look before Carrigg because he’s already on the 40-man. And he was only called up because Freeman was on the Paternity List so he’s still waiting his turn. Seems like they want to give Freeman a longer look as the starting RF.

Carrigg can also play SS so, assuming he can be adequate there, I think that could give him an edge if the Rockies wanted to ease back on Tovar’s playing time a bit. In any case, I think he’ll be in the mix post-trade deadline after guys like Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak are traded.

Hazmat Corntail: Is Brett Baty doing enough to stave off being thrust back into a platoon when Lindor/Bichette return, and if not are we getting deep enough into their season that it’s trading time so he has a chance to do so somewhere else?

Jon Becker: He’s still not hitting well enough against lefties (61 wRC+ against them this year, 77 the last three years) to justify him playing against lefties, regardless of how much better he’s doing lately. My best guess is that it’ll be a Baty/Vientos platoon at 1B (with Vientos also getting DH time against RHP) when Lindor is back. He’s the only guy we have a somewhat-clear timetable on, Polanco and/or Robert coming back of course makes that puzzle a whole lot harder.

Rollie’s Mustache: When Kirk returns, what do you see the Blue Jays doing at backup catcher? Valenzuela has options where Heineman does not, but the kid has played much better. Does the acquisition of Willie MacIver last month mitigate the risk that Heineman is claimed and they keep Valenzuela around? Or do you prioritize org depth, keep Heineman up, and give the kid more reps as the starting C at Buffalo? Thanks, guys.

Jason Martinez: Yep, good call on MacIver. That’s probably the main reason why they claimed him. Valenzuela is making a strong case to stay, meaning that Heineman would be DFAd. Jays would probably love to keep him in AAA but having MacIver there makes it a less risky move. Heineman has struggled this season and he doesn’t have options so I’m not sure how likely he is to be claimed. He could elect free agency, though, if he cleared waivers.

Ragbrai: How effective will Woodruff be upon his return? Is he just another injury wating to happen?

Jon Becker: I think he’ll be as expected. They seemed optimistic that the fluid drain from his shoulder would iron things out and he’s pretty close to a return by the sounds of it. He’s certainly riskier than other pitchers considering his recent injury history but I don’t inherently see him or any other pitcher in particular as an injury waiting to happen, necessarily. Healthy pitchers get hurt, formerly injury-prone pitchers stay healthy, it’s really hard to predict.

Webster: Will Zeke Duran stick in the lineup when everyone is healthy? How would you rank him, J Smith, and Fosuce ROS?

Jason Martinez: Things can change quickly so it really depends. At this moment with Duran and Foscue both on fire, Josh Smith’s return would be slow-played even if he was healthy.

Let’s assume both cool off a bit in a few weeks and Corey Seager is back in the lineup. In that case, I think Duran has done enough to be the starting 2B and Smith, who was off to a bad start, would be in a utilityman role. Foscue would head back to AAA but both he and the Rangers would have to be feeling pretty good about him finally showing something in the majors.

NicklePickers: Hi! Not sure if you take a fantasy question, but since it’s PT related: I’ve only got 20% of my FAAB left in an AL only (we allow zero bids). Should I blow it all on Colt Emerson or will he lose everyday PT when Donovan comes back?

Jon Becker: Can’t speak to fantasy specifically because that’s not our thing but I can definitely opine on Emerson’s playing time: I think unless he falls flat on his face, he’s here to stay. Cole Young has cooled off and J.P. Crawford has already volunteered to get reps at 3B so my best guess when Donovan is back is Donovan at 2B and Crawford SS/Emerson 3B or vice versa. Donovan’s ability to play anywhere can keep Young on the roster and playing pretty often, too.

Twangs: Puzzled by Arizona’s  Torrey Lovullo’s bullpen usage.  In particular Juan Morillo, who is listed here as the #2 guy.  He’s pitch 3 innings since 5/08, despite a 1.83 xERA and 9.61/2.29 numbers.  Is he mildly injured and being rested?  In the doghouse for some reason?  Appreciate any insight you can offer and thanks.

Jason Martinez: I’ve had him listed as SU8 for good reason and hadn’t really noticed the lack of appearances over the past few days. I’m more likely to notice a bad outing and then I’d adjust. I’m guessing there’s probably something going on. Could be managing his workload. In his 10-year pro career (MLB and MiLB), it looks like he’s thrown more than 51 IP only once. It could also be a minor physical issue. Same thing happened with Cole Sulser (Rays) a while back. Rays can be weird with their usage but Sulser was hardly pitching even though he had been very good. Then it was revealed that he had been dealing with an injury and now he’s on the IL.

scioscia: I see the angels having an option left with Josh Lowe, what are the ramifications of them exercising this?

scioscia: What options do the Angels have with Josh Lowe outside of just cutting him? He’s been seemingly unlucky but also massively uninspiring

Jon Becker: Because he’s got that option year left, they can send him down. The way it works is that if he’s down for 20+ days then that option year is used up and he’ll then be out of options next year and would have to be on the 26-man. He’s been a mess but they’re not exactly teeming with options; Nelson Rada hasn’t hit well enough to merit coming up, for example.

Daron: Generally you’ve designated one long reliever per bullpen, but the Brewers seem to be testing that notion with several options that can go anywhere from the minimum number of batters faced up to 4 innings (Drohan, Ashby, Woodford). They’ve most recently converted Chad Patrick from a starter to a multi-inning reliever. Do you get the sense the multi-inning relief role is becoming more important as bullpens adapt to shorter average starter outings?

Jason Martinez: I have listed multiple LRs in the past and I think you could probably make that case with Drohan/Woodford. Drohan has alternated a 3-4 inning outing with a shorter outing since he was called up. So not quite a piggy-back but also doesn’t seem like they’re transitioning him into being a full-time reliever who can throw back-to-back or 2 out of 3 days.

The multi-inning reliever has been slow to evolve. In theory, it’s a great idea that teams have tinkered with for several years. But partly due to injuries and partly because it’s usually a dominant pitcher who teams want to use on back-to-back days, it hasn’t stuck. But as was the case with the “opener”, it takes a few years for teams to really feel comfortable with implementing it on a regular basis.

sean1992: Who will be the Blue Jays 5th starter going forward? Can’t keep using the opener every 5th day especially if they’re playing so many games in a row without an off day. It’s going to tax the bullpen big time

Jon Becker: Bieber’s not too far off, it seems, which makes Corbin the de facto SP5 instead of Spencer Miles + bullpen. But for what it’s worth, Miles was up to 56 pitches last time so he could plausibly throw 70+ today behind Braydon Fisher.

Don Glickstein: Will Troy Melton hit the rotation after his rehab? If so, is he a 1,2,3,4, or 5 starting pitcher?

Jason Martinez: Including Drew Anderson, who has been terrific in back-to-back 4-inning outings, the Tigers have 5 healthy starters right now and a shaky bullpen. But it would make sense to keep Melton stretched out as long as possible in case they need him in the rotation at some point. Maybe they add him to the rotation and go with 6 starters until either Verlander and/or Skubal is back. But you can make the case that he could be one of their top relievers right now.

Lomster: Baseball Rules Question re. When a Reliever Gets Credit for a Win. In the May 19th game between the A’s and the Angels, J. Sterner relieved J. Lopez in the fourth inning with the A’s ahead 6 to 4. The Angels had men on first and third, two outs. Sterner got the third out but it was only the fourth inning. Perkins pitched the fifth and sixth inning without giving up a run. The A’s never gave up their lead. Sterner got the win. I thought that you had to have pitched and finished the fifth inning to qualify for the win, whether you’re a starter or reliever. Something tells me that I have been too fixated with the fantasy aspect of the game and have not kept up with rule changes in the real  game. Why didn’t Perkins get the win. (BTW, I have Perkins on my 12-team AL only league and could have used “that” win.)

Jon Becker: It gets a little bit more granular than this because the official guide for official scorers has a bunch of guidelines on what constitutes an effective outing meriting a win, but only the starter needs to complete five innings to qualify for a win. A reliever can pitch whenever and for however long, it just happens to be uncommon for a reliever to enter and exit the game prior to the fifth while his team maintains the lead for the rest of game. In Sterner’s case I would assume he got the win just because he was the first pitcher to follow the SP and they never relinquished the lead, though if Sterner had been ineffective I believe the scorer could’ve given the win to Perkins.

jgroth2: At what point would you consider projecting Griffin Jax as a full time SP going forward?  Is the current split pulling in projections for him as an RP and SP and aggregating them?  Would be curious to see what his SP-only projections would look like.

Jason Martinez: I think he’s getting closer to being considered a SP with each effective start. And my guess is the result will be that he’d go into 2027 as a SP.

You just have to consider that he’ll have an innings limit since he’s only been throwing 60-70 innings per season for the past 4 years. So I think he’ll continue to be a starter thru July/August and then moved back to the ‘pen. That would be my guess.

As far as projections go, it’s not really a precise system that I use. Just trying to give a very general idea that shows a reasonable number for the team and player perspective. I have him with 12% of the team’s starts (14 GS, 63 IP) and 18 relief IP. IP/GS projection is done by Steamer. I’m assuming that could go up a bit in the near future.

I Like Big Buxton: This is such a minor consideration – for multiple reasons – that it’s probably not worth asking, much less answering (but I love minutia like this). Tristan Gray is apparently going on paternity leave this weekend. Assuming the Twins don’t want to add someone to the 40-man just for three games, who gets the call? Bringing up Wallner or Lewis seems awkward at best, since they were just optioned for poor play. And the other two healthy position players on the 40-man are Gabriel Gonzalez and Hendry Mendez, neither of whom have any MLB experience.

Jon Becker: Oooh this is a great question. I think you’re right that calling up Wallner or Lewis would be inelegant so I’d be surprised if it was either of them. Gonzalez or Mendez actually make fine sense to me even though they’re both outfielders, maybe neither would start a game or make a big impact but they’d get a taste of being in the majors without much in the way of expectations, which is cool.

Webster: When do you think the Twins will bring up Culpepper?

Jason Martinez: He’s been very good but not quite good enough to force his way onto the roster. At least not yet. There is a scenario where this happens, though. If he’s crushing the ball in a month or two and Royce Lewis has not made any progress and hasn’t earned another shot, I think they give the kid a chance.

However, he doesn’t have to be added to the 40-man roster during this upcoming offseason so that is one semi-important consideration. Basically gives them an open 40-man roster spot to work with for the entire offseason. And he is also talented enough to be in the 2027 ROY mix so the Twins could benefit from the PPI. In that case, having him debut on Opening Day 2027 would be a more attractive option.

NicklePickers: Will Perkins get more save chances in SacTown?

Jon Becker: Kotsay hasn’t fallen into too many predictable patterns with his bullpen but it’s clear that Perkins, Kuhnel, and Harris are most trusted for save chances. That hasn’t stopped him from using any or all of the three earlier in games but more often than not it’s falling to that trio. But if anyone’s their closer of the future, it’s Perkins.

MJelinek: Is Edwin Arroyo in play for the Reds before the all-star break? Getting reps at 3rd for a potential call up. Or are we looking at an end of year cup of coffee or 2027 eta?

Jason Martinez: Seems like he’d be a perfect fit to balance out that right-handed heavy lineup, especially with Friedl struggling. But let’s assume Suarez, who is on rehab assignment, is back in the next 7-10 days. Even if you move Steer to the OF, one of Suarez or Stewart would have to play 3B in order to keep Nate Lowe in the lineup. So Arroyo at 3B and Lowe on the bench would likely be the result. Not sure that’s ideal right now. But that would be the consideration. Maybe they can mix and match a bit. But, ideally, you want the rookie to play almost everyday.

oaktownblues: RosterResource lists Jacob Lopez as having an option remaining, but I’m pretty sure he’s actually out of options. Can you confirm?

Jason Martinez: I’ll always double-check my math if someone asks about MiLB options. But we cross-check with MLBTR’s out of options list and he’s not on that list. I’m just using math and keeping an eye out for reports of 4th options being granted. Can’t remember if Lopez is a 4th option guy. I believe MLBTR confirms their list with team/league officials so it’s a legit source.

NicklePickers: You have Mitch Garver as the starting C in Seattle, but he only worked 2 games last week. Chalking that up to his balky back or will Pareda be the guy?

Jason Martinez: Looks like they’ve alternated games for the past 4. I wouldn’t change the “projected go-to lineup” based on that. And then there’s the back discomfort that he’s dealing with. But definitely taking notice that they trust Pereda back there.

Jason Martinez: That will do it for today. Thanks for joining us! Enjoy the rest of your week.