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Ten Yankees set to benefit from potential MLB roster expansion

By Ryan Doyle

JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Mike Ford #72 of the New York Yankees at bat against the Miami Marlins during a Grapefruit League spring training at Roger Dean Stadium on March 11, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Mike Ford #72 of the New York Yankees at bat against the Miami Marlins during a Grapefruit League spring training at Roger Dean Stadium on March 11, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 26: Clint Frazier #77 of the New York Yankees gestures to the bench after hitting a double in the fourth inning during the spring training game against the Washington Nationals at Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

If MLB has plans to expand rosters in order to begin the 2020 season, a handful of New York Yankees players are set to benefit from extra playing time.

How the 2020 Major League Baseball season is going to look remains a mystery. Could the league still attempt to squeeze in a full 162-game season with multiple double-headers per week? Or cut the season in half, leading to a fragmented New York Yankees season?

The latest reports indicate that the MLB is looking at hosting seasons in Florida and Arizona, at spring training facilities. For 2020 at least, the league could adjust its realignment with the Yankees playing in a division with the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Other proposals are being discussed and it’s too early to tell how baseball will attempt to create a patchwork season amid this pandemic.

However, one key aspect of any proposal the MLB moves forward with will be the size of Major League rosters. Will teams be able to keep an extra arm or position player to help lighten the load if more games are squeezed into the schedule?

Exactly how the MLB will implement roster expansion will be interesting. The league was set to add one roster spot for a position player in 2020, allowing teams to carry 26 players until September, where the roster would expand to 28 men, down from 40 in previous seasons.

The MLB could decide to stick with a 28-man roster to kick-off the 2020 season to help limit injuries and give organizations more options in for potential double-headers. Regardless of how rosters will operate, it will likely be necessary to have larger roster sizes at least to begin the year.

Expanded rosters could help limit injuries and fatigue as players are likely going to be asked to play more games and ramp up quickly prior to the start of a potential season.

For a handful of Yankees minor leaguers and non-roster invitees, larger rosters could mean a spot on the big league team. It would also mean that a few position battles that were heating up in early March may have both players landing on the roster.

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