Pitchers and catchers might not start reporting to camp for another five weeks, but as we count down the days until the start of spring training, we can at least look forward to the winter’s remaining free agents finding new homes, as well as the announcement of each team’s list of non-roster invitees (NRIs) to big league camp. And if we’re lucky, a few more big trades might go down.
Whatever happens, our Opening Day Tracker will continue to be updated with every player who will report to a major league camp, as well as their projected roster status.
Here’s a quick primer on who will be in major league camp, what happens as rosters are pared down to 26 players, and how our tracker can help you keep up between now and Opening Day.
Who is in major league camp?
The full squad is comprised of each team’s full 40-man roster and a group of non-roster invitees. A non-roster invitee must be added to the 40-man roster if they break camp with the major league club.
What happens when a player is officially out of the running for an Opening Day roster spot?
If a player on the 40-man roster does not make the team, they are optioned to the minors; non-roster invitees are reassigned. These players will continue to prepare for the upcoming season in minor league camp. However, this does not completely rule out their making the Opening Day roster. Circumstances can change, usually because of injuries, and a player can be brought back after being sent down.
Many players who sign a minor league free agent deal during the offseason have a clause in their contract that allows them to opt out by a certain date (or multiple dates in some cases). If the player feels that they have a better opportunity elsewhere, they can request their release if they aren’t added to the 40-man roster by their official opt-out date.
What happens when a player is injured?
If a player on the 40-man isn’t healthy enough to begin the season on the Opening Day roster, they must be placed on the major league injured list (7-day, 10-day, 15-day, or 60-day). The team can open a 40-man roster spot by placing a player on the 60-day IL.
A non-roster invitee can’t be placed on the major league injured list. They would instead be reassigned to the minors and placed on the minor league injured list once the season begins.
How To Use the Opening Day Roster Tracker
Along with a player’s projected Opening Day status, the tracker includes their projected plate appearances or innings pitched, age, position, service time, and options remaining. Those with a light brown background in the name column are on the 40-man roster; those with a white background — non-roster invitees or those on the 60-day IL — are not.
For players not on a projected Opening Day roster, their status is listed as a candidate for the lineup, bench, lineup/bench, rotation, bullpen, or rotation/bullpen. Some prospects are only in major league camp for the experience and aren’t competing for a roster spot. I don’t differentiate between those prospects and those with a chance of making the roster. Until they’re reassigned to minor league camp, they are listed as a candidate to make the Opening Day roster.
There are 10 options in the Projected Opening Day Status drop-down menu:
- Full Spring Training Roster: Every player in major league camp.
- Projected 26-Man Roster: My current Opening Day roster projections.
- 40-Man Roster
- NRI on Projected 26-Man: There are currently only four players on this list, but that number is likely to increase substantially as veteran free agents begin to settle for minor league contracts, and as injuries occur during spring training and opportunities open up. Last season, there were more than 40 non-roster invitees who had their contracts purchased prior to Opening Day.
- Not on Projected Roster/Still In Camp
- Still In Camp
- Non-Roster Invitees: There are 122 non-roster invitees included on the list as of today. That number likely represents around 15% of the total NRIs who will report to major league camp. At some point in the next few weeks, teams will release an official list of non-roster invitees. As of now, those included have either been announced by the team or reported by a beat writer as having been invited to big league camp. The expectation is that the majority of the players with major league experience who sign a minor league contract will be non-roster invitees.
- No Longer In Camp: Players who have been optioned, reassigned, released, or placed on the injured list.
- Injured: Players who have been placed on the injured list, projected injured list, or projected minor league injured list.
- Restricted List: Players currently on the restricted list are not officially in camp and are only included on the Tracker if there is a chance that they will be activated prior to Opening Day.
FanGraphs Members can export the data in the tracker by clicking on “Download Excel Workbook (.xlsx)” near the top right of the page.
Content Source: blogs.fangraphs.com