Updated Roster Breakdown, week 4

The roster is really starting to come together, as more and more players are being send down to minor league camp. There were a few surprises, but mostly it’s been fairly predictable. The real tough choices are yet to be made.

Outfield: 5 Roster spots available

Locks	Ichiro, Gutierrez, Bradley
On the bubble
Work left to do	Saunders, Gross, Langerhans, Wilson
Out	Gerut (retired), Peguero, Chavez, Halman
Comments: Within a couple hours of me posting this last week, Halman got sent down. Not a huge surprise there. The real interesting thing is the continued drop in Michael Saunder’s stock. He continues to struggle at the plate, and it’s sounding more and more like he’s bound for Tacoma while he figures out his new hitting stance. The question remains though, how are roster spots to be made if Gross, Langerhans or Wilson are to make the squad.

Infield: 5 Roster spots available

Locks	Smoak, Ryan, Jack Wilson, Figgins
On the bubble	Kennedy
Work left to do	Tuiasosopo, Mangini, Josh Wilson, Kazmar, Rodriquez, Ackley
Out	Liddi, Carp,
Comments: This is still a tough battle to handicap. (I’ve said that every time so far.) Carp being sent down before Mangini or Ackley is a bit of a surprise, but its not a surprise that he didn’t make the team. I’m starting to wonder why Tui and Josh Wilson are still in camp though. I can’t see them making this team, and their roster spots will be needed elsewhere.

Catcher/DH: 3 Roster spots available

Locks	Cust, Olivo
On the bubble	Moore, Bard
Work left to do	Baron, Gimenez
Out
Comments: Still no change here. I’m starting to get the feeling that Moore will be headed to Tacoma if a roster spot can be found for either Bard or Gimenez, though that’s assuming Olivo is healthy.

Rotation: 5 Roster spots available

Locks	Felix, Vargus, Fister, Bedard
On the bubble	French, Pineda
Work left to do	Pauley
Out	Paxton, Beavan, Robertson (elbow)
Comments: The big change this week is all the talk of Pineda breaking camp with the team. While I think that would be foolish, stranger things have happened. If Pineda falters the spot will belong to French. the only reason Pauley is still on this list is because the team hasn’t come out and said he’s definitely a reliever.

Bullpen: 7 Roster spots available

Locks	League
On the bubble	Aardsma, Lueke, Ray, Laffey
Work left to do	Jimenez, Wright, Miller, Flores, Wilhelmsen, Castro, Ring
Out	Kelley (60 day DL), Olson (waived), Paredes, Smith, Robles, Medina, Petit, Roe, Seddon, Delcarmen, Bautista, Haeger, Cortez
Comments: Most of the movement this week came from the relievers. I was surprised to see Cortez sent down, but he’s been awfully wild so far this spring. The other surprise wasn’t that Olson got waived, but that the team did it this early and didn’t wait until final cuts were being made across the league when it would have been easier to get him through waivers and back down to Tacoma. I guess they really could have cared less if they lost him. And I finally remembered to add Laffey to the list.

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