44.12 Checking the Locks: Final Results

[crobillard]

This is a series where I will evaluate the options in each position leading into Spring Training. This is the last part of the series. I will be providing some results for the locks I chose, how it compares to 2043 and I will update it with a later post with which players make the active roster for Opening Day.

Sure fire locks:
Rainer Scheffer
David Katzenbogen
Carlomaria Donadoni
Hakim Ngowa
Steven Collins III
Pepe Espinosa
Jose Salas
Wilson Villanuela
Rocky Allen
Pedro Huerta
Jubal Troop
Chandler Hall
Jose Martinez
Rodrigo Gallegos
Jorge Huerta
Jose Torres
Luis Ortega
Ryosei Akiyama
Alexandre Renard
Vicente Ventura

Near locks:
Joey Nethersole
Bill Morley Jerry Bell
Ryosei Akahori
Fedaku Bbosa
Dermott Halford

Trying to get in the door:
Juan Colon
Miguel Deleon
Miguel Pacheco
Lorenzo Leon
Jim Loudenslager
Martin Villa
Amos Swallows
Itze Woertgen
Hideaki Shibutani
Jorge Limon
Freddy Diaz
Albert Love
Ramon Ruiz
Shinsaku Sato

Lots to discuss this year as Spring Training concludes, so we'll dive right in. We have 19 sure fire locks this year, which is one up from last year. This certainly makes getting on the team much more difficult than it used to be. Much of this is due to the strongest bullpen we've ever had carrying over from last year to this year, which is much different than it has been in year's past. It used to be that the bullpen was the best way to make the Jackrabbits team come the spring. Now, we have many players I would like to call up that are blocked. This makes making a trade very enticing since it is such a strong position for the team.

Swallows and Woertgen made a big push this spring to get the call up. They'll get most of the attention for potential rookies, but there are other interesting players too. Lefty reliever Jorge Limon, extreme groundballer Freddy Diaz, high movement LOOGY Sato and ROOGY Love are all fighting for spots in the bullpen. After the team let Ignacio Castaneda go in free agency this offseason along with Chandler Hall's injury, there are two openings on the pitching staff that everyone is fighting for. What makes matters a little more complex is after going back and forth from the majors to AAA and back last season, Bbosa is out of minor league options and almost certainly would be claimed if waived, so if we can't find a spot for him he'll likely be leaving the team.

If you assume all near locks will make the team, things become even more challenging for any players trying to get in the door, as that makes 26 players in sure lock or near lock status. Man, that's tough. Now, between the Chandler Hall and Wilson Villanuela injuries, that allows two additional openings. Not including those two, here's where we stand:

Catcher - 2
Infield - 5
Outfield - 5
Rotation - 6
Bullpen - 6

An additional outfielder joins the locks on the roster over last year and we're short two relievers after the departures of Ignacio Castenda and Juan Guerrero last season. There's definitely room for a few prospects to squeeze their way in.