Dodgers roster crunch: Jason Heyward, Andy Pages, Chris Taylor & Kevin Kiermaier

Intro [Music] what's up everyone welcome into Dodger heads presented by Dodger blue.com my name is Jeff Spiegel doing a solo show this morning to go over what is about to be an incredible roster crunch if you think Andrew Freedman gets paid just to make trades and free agent signings I can assure you the next couple of weeks are going to be absolutely insane for him as he has to make alongside Dave Roberts Brandon Gomes some of the most difficult decisions possible there are ways around it there are some things they can do that maybe aren't fully within the rules but let's get just this this video is meant to be an overview just a primer of here are the players here are the options here are the dates that kind of a thing so I've got some slides here to help me out let's just Roster Rules refresh some basic major league roster rules until August 31st every team has a 26-man roster with a maximum of 13 pitchers so 13 pitchers 13 hitters these 26 players have to be on the 40 man roster after September 1st starting on September 1st those rosters expand to 28 you can add one pitcher or and or two hitters but only one pitcher one hitter presumably is what every single team is going to do so how does this impact the Position Players Dodgers let's start on the position player side on the position player side obvious obviously Austin Barnes is out but there are 10 guys for 13 spots until August 31st that are locks Will Smith Austin Barnes Freddy Freeman Gavin Lux Miguel roas Max munty teoscar Hernandez Tommy Edmund Mookie Betts shotani locks for that spot okay but here's where Bench Players things get interesting the bench until September 1st the Dodgers have just three spots for five players Kik Hernandez currently on the roster Kevin km currently on the roster Chris Taylor do back from injury shortly Jason Hayward on the roster Andy PES the only player here who has options available he has been sent down to the minor leagues okay so even with P sent down the Dodgers have to choose three of Kik Kier Taylor and Hayward none of those guys can be sent down to the minor leagues which means one of those guys either has to be DFA basically cut uh Chris Taylor is under contract for next year the other three would be free agents at the end of this season or a phantomon now I know a lot of people are asking well why don't they just wait to bring Chris Taylor back until September 1st no idea but the Dodgers have made it clear they are not planning on doing that Chris Taylor is going to come back and they're going to figure something out so is it a phantom iel where kikk Hernandez or Kevin km pulls a muscle in their back has to be out for a couple weeks and then after September 1st they're back up and everything fits we'll see after September 1 they can choose four of that above group so again then if at that point all those guys are still in the organization K km Taylor Hayward all can be on the major league roster none of them need to be cut but here's the note that I keep making if Andy PES is part of their postseason plans and he might not be I think he should be because he's probably one of their best hitters if not their best hitter Off the Bench against lefties but if he's part of their plans are the Dodgers really going to have him sit with Oklahoma City for the remainder of their season not be up with the major league club not getting reps as a pinch hitter not getting reps at the major league level and then just adding him to their postseason roster seems unlikely to me so if P Hayes is in their plan I think they're going to have to make a roster move one of these guys is going to have to go if PES is outside of their plans they can do the Phantom get to September 1st call everybody back and everybody's good with PES on the outside looking in okay that's the offensive side on the pitching side things are kind of just as complicated okay 40-man roster currently full for the Dodgers Yoshi noou Yamamoto is the one player expected back still who is not on the 40-man roster so for him to be activated somebody needs to be added to the 60-day there's a couple prospects who are in the minor league level who could technically be called up and then put on the 60-day I to open a spot or somebody gets DFA so they options there then you've got guys who just aren't on the 26-man roster currently Tyler glass now Yamamoto who we mentioned Blake tryan bruar graterol uh try and duback uh today we believe but all four of those guys would need a spot on the 26-man roster and then there are three players who could potentially be contributors that are in the minor league so not on the 26 that would be Landon a Justin roesy Michael Gro quick note about Landon KN minor league players new rule can only be optioned five times before they would have to be basically DFA Landon Knack has been optioned four times as far as I read that that means he can be called up again and optioned one more time I think he can then be called up again and if he stays with the major league roster until the end of the season they wouldn't have to option him again I believe but just something to know currently on the 26-man roster you've got 13 pitchers Bond braer berer casparius who's the easiest one to go he'll go down for Blake trinon flarity Hudson Kelly Kershaw copc Bobby Miller Evan Phillips Gavin Stone Alex vessia you see the stars next to casparius Miller Stone vesa those guys can be optioned but Gavin Stone's not getting option Alex vesa is not getting optioned so the Dodgers have some tough decisions I know Walker buer is going to be a posit a popular candidate to be removed from this list Bobby Miller as well but even with ber casparius and Miller even if all three of those guys go glass now Yamamoto try and graterol all four of them will not fit now however remember rosters expand on September 1st so four guys for three spots does work if you wait until September 1st and then if Knack Rob blesy or Grove needed to come back up things get complicated so again I do this just to highlight how many decisions Andrew fredman and Dave Roberts and Brandon goes have coming up there is a lot of moving pieces for the Dodgers roster hopefully you feel like you have a better sense of that now my name is Jess Bagel if you have not already please subscribe bring the notification Bell and join us tonight live postgame show against the Mariners Dodgers going for the sweep I will be on here I believe with Matthew Moreno as soon as that one ends so join us for that and if you want even more talk about the roster crunch check out Tuesday night's live show myself Anthony wado special guest Scott gearman all talk about our thoughts on is it Kier Meer getting DFA is somebody going on the I is PES part of the postseason roster all those types of questions so you can check that out as always check out Dodger blue.com if you're a podcast person Apple Spotify Google look for the Dodger heads podcast and Jo Jo us there again my name is Jeff Spiegel enjoy the rest of your day everybody and as always go Dodgers