Quote from Randy Manese on September 17, 2020, 6:03 pm

This is the most difficult time of the year in planning how to keep the pitching staff sharp but not overworked for the upcoming post-season.  With Pham and Hosmer likely activated as early as tomorrow, we already have the position player slots filled at 14.  I have Pham at DH and Profar in LF with Hosmer back at 1b and Nola as the majority catcher; that leaves the core 5.  Bench will be Moreland, Castro, Mejia, Garcia and lastly Mateo.  That leave 14 slots open for pitchers.

If we've settled in on our top 4 as Clevinger, Lamet, Davies and Paddack, you have Richards in the bullpen and Rosenthal/Pomeranz/Pagan  high leverage or closers.  You can't send down Johnson, Stammen or Altavilla during the remainder of the season, but you can leave them off the roster for the playoffs, so that brings us up to 11 of 14.  Given those circumstances don't see Castillo, Gore, Guerra or Bednar coming into play at all.  Strahm needs to come up and test out his knee and get his rhythm back; probably need to see him maybe 3 times in these last 9 games - that makes 12.  Hill and Morejon both have options as does Perdomo, Baez, Williams and Patino.  These 6 are the likely to be shuttled back and forth, depending on the need and the effectiveness of others on the staff and not being able to brought up until the playoffs.   Could activate Adams, but he has had command issues in the past and without pitching at all this year, how comfortable would you feel bringing him in, even if it for the 6th or 7th inning?  Further, don't want any changes in the 40 man this late in the year.  Yates had bone chips removed from his elbow but is that something that would prevent him from throwing effectively once those chips were removed even if it was 6 weeks ago?  We've really not had any update about his condition or what, if anything, has he been doing to possibly be activated - has that been on purpose?  Therefore, my sentimental dark horse is a surprise appearance by Yates in the last week of the season to see if he has any value in the playoffs.  If not, we move on with healthier, most effective options.  So my last two are Hill and Yates or Hill and Morejon, Yates can't go/proves ineffective.

Quote from Brian Connelly on September 17, 2020, 11:20 pm

Good reasoning!   My point was that Pads have an amazing luxury in such a short season of (probably... not there yet) being locked not only into playoffs, but also the # 4 seed & home field advantage.  IF a player can be, say, optioned down with only 4 ("meaningless") games left (the final SF series), but be eligible to return for the first playoff series in less than 10 days-- since it's no longer the regular season-- might see that happen to get a last look at the depth options in a bullpen game.

I don't know if that CAN be done though.  There's $ (& service time) at stake too each game down or up in a season where the pre-arb guys really got hit hard by the short schedule.   I do know though, that at this point if a guy gets sent down, since it's for 10 days minimum unless there's an injury; that's essentially the rest of the regular season.

Quote from fenn68 on September 20, 2020, 10:01 am

Maybe just a Padre's website error but Almonte:

1. listed as OPTIONED to the alternate website on Sep 16th
2. however, NOT listed on either the 40 man roster (which includes players at the site) or on their Depth Chart.
3. transactions since of optioned players are reflected on the 40 man is "in minors"
4. he is not listed as a non-roster on the alt site either

Has there been a subsequent DFA / release of Almonte that has not been reported?

Quote from Brian Connelly on September 20, 2020, 11:45 am

Quote from fenn68 on September 20, 2020, 10:01 am

Maybe just a Padre's website error but Almonte:

1. listed as OPTIONED to the alternate website on Sep 16th
2. however, NOT listed on either the 40 man roster (which includes players at the site) or on their Depth Chart.
3. transactions since of optioned players are reflected on the 40 man is "in minors"
4. he is not listed as a non-roster on the alt site either

Has there been a subsequent DFA / release of Almonte that has not been reported?

Extremely unlikely that's an error.  The "Transactions" are notoriously slow to update; usually just before game time after roster move/s have been announced or even showing up on the lineup card.

This would mean 3 things.

1. Austin Adams or Jose Castillo has been activated from 45/60 Day IL & Almonte was the corresponding roster move.
2. A P on active roster would have to be optioned down.  Hopefully Patino.
3. Most interesting to me is that Padres choose to DFA Almonte over putting either Kirby Yates or Javy Guerra on 45-IL.  Guerra understandable since "personal reasons" obviously not a major injury.  But Yates is already at 35 days+ on IL; suggests there is at least a chance of him returning in regular season (didn't want to preclude it by moving him to 45-IL).

 

Quote from fenn68 on September 20, 2020, 12:43 pm

Just know any of the nuances associated with the impact of putting a player on the 45 day IL to clear a roster spot ... maybe getting "approval" is needed from MLB and that is (could be) an issue especially with Guerra.

The Yates situation does beg the question ... needed to be on the 40 man roster by Sept 15th (Yates was / Adams was not) but the move with Adams suggests that players on the 45 day are eligible for post-season if they come off ... before the season ends? or even during the playoffs? Just on the oft chance they need Yates (World Series is still a month off and a lot of injuries could pile up) so keeping him on the 40 makes sense.

IF they got to the point where they really needed Almonte ... over Ona or Allen ... all is lost. Plus he is out of options in 2021 and was very unlikely to make the 26 man roster next year ... just end the debate and keep him around as a non-roster unless he walks as a FA.

Quote from Randy Manese on September 20, 2020, 8:23 pm

Fangraphs had Yates going on the 45 and Almonte still on the team.  Really doesn't matter much other than I still would like to see Yates get activated and pitch for sentimental reasons.  He's been such a rock these past two years in really dismal circumstances.

Quote from Brian Connelly on September 20, 2020, 11:59 pm

Quote from Randy Manese on September 20, 2020, 8:23 pm

Fangraphs had Yates going on the 45 and Almonte still on the team.  Really doesn't matter much other than I still would like to see Yates get activated and pitch for sentimental reasons.  He's been such a rock these past two years in really dismal circumstances.

Don't know what's going on with Almonte, but Yates is showing up in Transactions moved to the 45- IL.  Won't appear in regular season, which was really wishful thinking on our part more than realistic chance.

Fenn, I don't think being on the 45-day matters for the 9/15 deadline... those players by definition WERE on a 40-man roster before getting injured.  The deadline is for when they went ON their current team's 40-man.  So the Pads could select Gore to make 1 start end of season, but he couldn't be on the playoff roster.  But (I'm pretty sure) Yates (or Castillo) could theoretically be activated after the regular season ended & added to a playoff roster.

Quote from Brian Connelly on September 21, 2020, 8:08 am

The way Almonte has disappeared completely without a transaction makes me wonder if he opted out of the rest of the season?

Not sure why they wouldn't say something, but it kind of makes sense:   On 9/23 I think after the last home game, the entire 40-man roster & IL guys go into their own quarantine bubble.  The alt site can continue, but only with the non-roster guys.  Exceedingly unlikely Almonte would have made it onto a playoff roster, and not in offseason plans, so not "tagging along" for what could be a month in another "bubble"?

Weird part is, why ALSO move to Yates to 45-IL if only one roster spot needed?   Maybe another move coming?

Quote from fenn68 on September 21, 2020, 8:18 am

I guess some timing issues but Yates could have been submitted as going to the 45 day earlier (just not reported to the media) as the move to make room for Adams coming off. Almonte was originally listed as "optioned" (so still on the 40 man) just not reported as on the 40 man. Now that Adams is off and Yates in on ... could be see the release of Almonte and open another 40 man slot.

Note that even if Almonte opted out for the rest of the season ... still think he would be on the 40 as was Ona who was not originally at the alternate site. Then again, rules seem to be fuzzy to the outsider.

Just odd.