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Playoff Roster Decisions Difficult

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 21, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays' turnaround on the mound is largely responsible for Tampa Bay's first trip to the postseason, but there won't be room on the Division Series roster for everyone who has contributed.

Tampa Bay has carried at least 12 pitchers for all but a few days this season, but won't bring any more than 11 - and it might just be 10 - to the first round of the playoffs. A best-of-five series with off days built in for travel allows teams to load up with more extra bats at the expense of those at the back end of the rotation and the front end of the bullpen.

The Rays won't be able to lock in on the 25 players they'll take to begin Division Series play until they know which team they'll be playing and what their schedule will be.

One ALDS opens Oct. 1 and is followed by a day off before Game 2 on Oct. 3. The other series opens Oct. 2, with the second game the following day. The Rays could opt for a three-man rotation if they're in the series with the extra off day in the middle, but most teams traditionally have used four starters in the first round.

Either way, at least one starter will be in the bullpen, and the smart money is on Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays worked him as a reliever throughout spring training, and he likely could fill any number of bullpen roles in the playoffs, from long to situational relief.

Troy Percival's health also should be factored in. The reliever has needed epidurals in his back to be able to pitch, and the Rays might not want to take a chance on Percival being unable to answer the bell if he doesn't show them something in the final week of the regular season. They will have some flexibility on that front, though.

Rosters must be set the day before the Division Series opener, but a rule change by Major League Baseball last season now allows teams to replace injured players in the middle of a series. The catch is any player who is replaced must sit out the entire following series, so someone pulled off the Division Series roster wouldn't be eligible again until the World Series.

Percival's status could end up determining whether David Price makes the playoff roster. The Rays surely will carry their bullpen stalwarts Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, Trever Miller and Chad Bradford, along with starters James Shields, Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir and Edwin Jackson if they go with an 11-man staff. Including Sonnanstine, that would leave one more bullpen slot open and a potentially difficult decision to be made.

"It's going to be a lively debate with the staff," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said of the selection process. "It's one of those things that a lot of it's going to be based on who we're playing and how we match up against them, and we feel like we have the talent on hand to be able to do that."

There will be some tough calls among the position players as well, with injuries once again factoring in. Considering the playoff opener is 10 days away and Carl Crawford still hasn't been allowed to pick up a bat, it seems unlikely he'll be in the mix for the Division Series.

If that's the case and the Rays carry 14 position players, the roster might look like this:

Regular starters Dioner Navarro, Carlos Pena, Akinori Iwamura, Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton are in, along with the lefty-righty DH platoon of Cliff Floyd and Rocco Baldelli. Ditto for the lefty-hitting options at the corner outfield spots - Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross. Ben Zobrist can start in the outfield and is the only true backup shortstop, and Willy Aybar can play anywhere in the infield and possibly the outfield. The Rays will need a backup catcher, probably Michel Hernandez, and that leaves one spot open.

The contenders would be Fernando Perez, Justin Ruggiano, Dan Johnson and Jonny Gomes. The favorite in that setup might be Perez, who is a switch-hitter, the team's fastest player and most effective bunter, and could slot into any outfield spot and provide solid defense. The decision-makers also have had a good look at Perez as he has filled in for Upton the last couple of weeks, making him one of several players who has benefited from the September roster expansion.

"We feel like we have more depth today than we felt like a month ago," Friedman said. "With the injuries and guys that have stepped up and performed in almost a playoff-like atmosphere, it certainly helps us in determining whether or not someone can handle the moment."

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