The flip of the calendar from August to September means a few things in Major League Baseball. For one, it signifies the end of the waiver trade period whereas no more players can be dealt. Any other player acquired from here on out via free agency is ineligible to participate in the postseason for their new club. September also brings forth roster expansion in which teams can have as many as 40 players active as they make either their final preparations for postseason play or assessments for what they have for the future. Both scenarios provide teams with ample opportunity to give playing time to top prospects as well as guys who have struggled through injury in 2015. Here is your guide to the madness of September’s roster expansion with a focus on those already called up to the Majors and those potentially poised to do so before the month’s end.
ALREADY UP
Javier Baez, SS (Chicago Cubs)
Baez became the latest highly touted Cubs infield prospect to come up to the Majors in 2015 after Kris Bryant and Addison Russell did so earlier in the year. Baez got his feet wet in the bigs last year with a 52 game stint that was a bust to say the least (.169 BA, .324 SLG, 95 K/15 BB). Normally a shortstop, a position in a logjam for the Cubs, he’ll give second base a go. He went 0-for-4 in his first game against Cincinnati, but ended his minor league season on a 16 game hitting streak and has started to further hone the power bat that many scouts believed he had as the ninth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft. Injuries and personal woes plagued what was supposed to be Baez’s breakout 2015. A good September will put the 22 year old on course to do so in 2016.
Hector Olivera, 3B (Atlanta Braves)
Los Angeles splashed some serious cash to obtain the rights to the Cuban infielder this past winter. The $62 million man made waves in the Dodgers’ minor league system but will be making his Major League debut with Atlanta following his inclusion in the three-way 13 player trade between the two sides and the Marlins at the end of July. Similarly to Baez, Olivera went 0-for-4 in his debut. He would knock in two runs in game two. The Braves are hoping that he’ll fulfill his offensive potential and soon because he is not your average debutante at 30 years old. It’ll be interesting to see which minor league side shines through for Olivera, the one that raked in the Dodgers organization or the one that was underwhelming for Atlanta. For the investment they made, Atlanta is hoping it is the former.
Joey Gallo, 3B (Texas Rangers)
Joey Gallo hits home runs. He hits them very far. He showed some of that pop in a cup of coffee in the big time (5 HR in 14 games) earlier in the season when Adrian Beltre was sidelined. He also showed a tendency to strike out at a rate that would make even Adam Dunn blush (43.9% in majors, 39.5% in minors). With Beltre fully healthy once again, Gallo is going to get some looks in the outfield and potentially first base. His first start came in left against San Diego and was an 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Not the best of returns if you ask me. Gallo didn’t embarrass himself in the outfield though after being a butcher at third in his first call-up. If he can curtail his strikeouts the Rangers may be able to keep him and Beltre in the middle of the order at the same time in the future. Time will tell if Gallo can solidify the Dunn/Mark Reynolds comparison with a 40 HR season in 2016.
Andrew Bailey, RP (New York Yankees)
Remember Andrew Bailey? The two-time All-Star and 2009 AL Rookie of the Year is back in the bigs with the Bronx Bombers. Bailey was the go-to stopper for the A’s from 2009 to 2011 before, in typical Oakland fashion, he was traded to Boston before arbitration was set to multiply his salary eight fold. In Boston he was viewed as the closer of the future, but he ran into a variety of arm woes and has been out of the spotlight since 2013. His return to the show, against the Red Sox no less, didn’t go so hot as he gave up a run on two walks and a hit in just a 1/3 of an inning. Bailey probably won’t be fed to the wolves too much as New York challenges for a playoff spot, but seeing him back in the Majors is a pleasant sight. So many young arms get lost in the shuffle when injury strikes, fading into the ether never to return.
ON THE WAY
Corey Seager, SS (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Former Phillies Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley man both shortstop and second base currently for the Dodgers. A pair of talented prospects will more than likely displace that duo in 2016 for the NL West leaders. Second baseman Jose Peraza, acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, is already up. The clock ticks in anticipation of the other half of that middle infield, top prospect Corey Seager. Ranked by most experts as the best prospect left in the minors, Seager isn’t a guarantee to get the call seeing how he doesn’t need Rule 5 40-man roster protection until after the 2016 campaign. Organizational logistics aside, he would provide a significant upgrade over the aging Rollins and provide more than adequate cover for both Utley and third baseman Justin Turner. Plus, Dodgers fans, a team with a rich history of giving rookies extended runs, want a sneak peek of their shiniest new toy at the highest level before next spring when he’ll probably make the club out of camp.
Aaron Judge, OF (New York Yankees)
The Yankees are still battling hard with the Blue Jays for the AL East crown and are going to need all the firepower they can get to outslug the heavy hitting Canadians. New York’s offense has been inconsistent to be polite, so they could use an injection of youth into the lineup similar to the one they did with top infield prospect Greg Bird at the beginning of last month. Judge can hit home runs in bunches, and is an intimidating presence at 6’7″ and 275 lbs. There is no harm in seeing what he can do in an outfield that otherwise devoid of consistent power. He also would provide a right handed bat option not named Chris Young that would allow Joe Girardi some lineup flexibility with an all-lefty (Beltran is switch) outfield.
Blake Snell, SP (Tampa Bay Rays)
There hasn’t been a more dominant pitcher down on the farm this year than Tampa’s Blake Snell. He went 14-4 over three levels with a 1.33 ERA and 157 K in 129 innings pitched. The 22 year old is certainly on an innings limit and is rapidly approaching it. However, with Tampa somehow just 4.5 games out of the second Wild Card, they need to have all hands on deck to make a surge this final month and leap frog three other hungry teams. Snell could potentially be utilized in a relief role similarly to the way David Price was used by the club in 2008 at the end of the season and in the playoffs. With Jake McGee shelved again, the left hander out of the pen spot would be Snell’s to claim.
Marcus Stroman, SP (Toronto Blue Jays)
It may be less of a call-up than a return to action, but we could not neglect the imminent return of Marcus Stroman to the Blue Jays’ rotation. Stroman, viewed by many as Toronto’s #1 starter heading into the season, has been on the disabled list for all of 2015 rehabbing a torn ACL. He looks ready to make a surprise 2015 comeback though as manager John Gibbons has stated that he expects to see the electric right hander back in the rotation next week. Instead of entering a pennant race cold in the number one spot, Stroman can ease back into things with David Price ahead of him in the pecking order and the likes of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and Marco Estrada all eating innings and getting victories.