Top prospect Wander Franco is part of the Tampa Bay Rays’ group of 60 players, and the Detroit Tigers are including their hottest young pitchers as baseball gears up for its shortened season.
Sunday was the deadline for teams to send groups of players, although additions can be made later. Many teams announced groups well below the 60 player limit.
Franco, a 19-year-old shortstop, is ranked the No. 1 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He spent last season in Class A, so it would be a huge leap for him to contribute to the majors in the immediate future, but putting him in the player pool makes him an option for the Rays, and could help his development in a year in which the coronavirus closed the minor leagues.
Pitcher Brendan McKay and infielder Vidal Brujan, two other top Tampa Bay prospects, also came into the group.
“They are some of our most advanced prospects,” said Rays general manager Erik Neander. “Certainly, on the player side of the position, that’s where things went and why Wander was a leading candidate for a position.”
The Tigers are rebuilding around launch prospects, including Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft. He is in his squad, along with Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Alex Faedo, and Franklin Perez.
Most teams took at least five receivers, and defending champion Washington Nationals included a whopping 36 pitchers in their group. The Baltimore Orioles announced just 44 players in total at the moment, not counting outfielder Trey Mancini, who was on the 45-day disabled list and is likely to miss the season after colon cancer surgery in March.
The Nationals included infielder Ryan Zimmerman into their group, although he recently said he was still deciding whether to play.
The New York Yankees listed Miguel Andujar and Tyler Wade as infielders / outfielders, a sign that they could see more time in the outfield if Aaron Judge (broken rib), Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain), and Aaron Hicks (Tommy John surgery) are not healed enough New York put right-hander Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery) on 45-day IL, agreed to minor league contracts with infielder Matt Duffy and catcher Max McDowell and released the Right Dan Otero, then re-signed him in a minor league. contract.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ group of players went without reliever Edgar Santana, who will miss the entire 2020 season after being suspended for 80 games for violating the Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. MLB announced Sunday that Santana tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
The Pirates did not include right-hander Quinn Priester or shortstop Nick Gonzales, their best picks in the 2019 and 2020 draft.
“There were a number of players, aside from Quinn and Nick, whom we consider, and we just feel like we’re still hoping that there will be an opportunity to get his uniform at a facility in 2020 and if we can do it, it would be a more productive way for continue their development, “said general manager Ben Cherington. “In Quinn’s case, and I would really say that Quinn and several younger pitchers who have not yet been at the full season level, we feel that this was not the right time to include them in this group.”
Right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez, who was trying to return to Colorado during spring training before the virus stopped play, was not included in the Rockies’ group of players.
Seattle outfielder Mitch Haniger (rear) was placed on the 45-day disabled list. It’s not in the 60 player group, but the Mariners can add it later.
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