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Each team will have a roster of 26-40
players. The roster is broken down into these mandatory 26
positions:
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9 starting hitters
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5 reserve hitters
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5 starting pitchers
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5 relief pitchers
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2 spot pitchers
See Lineups for more details on these
positions.
Each owner may also fill out his roster with
optional positions. The team can utilize a taxi
squad/disabled list, which can be used for up to two players
(they do not have to be injured to be on it). Up to 12
other players may be signed to the minor league roster.
Any players may be put onto the taxi squad.
However, the minor league roster is limited to players with
salaries of 250 or less. Players on the minor league roster
do not have to be in the minors in real life. Owners may
use the minor leagues to store disabled players or major
leaguers who are slumping or not playing much or don't fit
into the current roster. The only stipulation is that they
don't exceed the 250 salary limit. Note: Any player,
regardless of salary, can be put on the team’s major league
roster.
In addition, each team's minor league roster
will be competing for a separate award and additional
funds. The only statistics that will count for the minor
league standings are those actually obtained in real-life
minor leagues. See Minor Leagues for more details.
Roster Minimums
Given the mandatory positions listed above,
each team must fulfill these minimums:
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14 hitters (9 starters, 5 bench)
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12 pitchers (5 starters, 5 bullpen, 2
spot)
Roster Maximums
A team can have no more than 40 players, but
since minor league players cannot make more than 250, there
are some maximum limits placed on rosters based on salary.
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A team can have no more than 16 hitters
making 250 or more (the 14 active spots plus 2 potential
taxi squad players)
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A team can have no more than 14 pitchers
making 250 or more (the 12 active spots plus 2 potential
players on the taxi squad).
-
Those numbers, however, are independent
and cannot be added together, since both assume the use of
the 2 available taxi squad slots. There are 26 active
players and 2 taxi openings – anyone else needs to be in
the minors. Thus, a team cannot have more than 28 players
making over 250.
Injured Reserve
Owners often ask about adding a disabled
list. Benchwarmer Baseball doesn’t call it that, but that's
essentially what the "Taxi Squad" is (borrowing old NFL
terminology). But it's actually better than a disabled list,
because you don't have to be hurt to be put on it.
Starting in 2006, we added a new roster
designation - Injured Reserve (IR). And, like the taxi
squad, the player does not have to be injured to be put on
it. However, again borrowing from the NFL, when you put a
player on IR, he is done for the season.
You may place one player on IR. There is no
cost associated with this move, and once you do that, his
roster spot becomes open for another player - so, in a
sense, the maximum roster size goes from 40 to 41. But, the
only option you have for that player the rest of the season
is to keep him on IR or cut him. He cannot be placed back on
your active roster - including for the playoffs.
If the player is cut and goes back into the
free agent pool and another team signs him, he will be made
active. If a player on IR is traded, the receiving team gets
him as an active player.
This change allows you to hang on to a
player who suffers a season-ending injury early in the
season and maintain some roster flexibility with your taxi
squad positions. Keep in mind, one of the "benefits" of
cutting a player in this situation, particularly early in
the season, is to get a pro-rated salary rebate. Putting a
player on IR will not do that for you.
This is currently limited to one player. BWB
still likes to see teams have to make some difficult choices
on rosters which from time to time puts some premium players
back into the free agent pool (where another team might be
in a better position to hold on to an injured player and
build for the future). If you already have a player on IR,
and want to put another player there, you're going to have
to decide to cut one of them.
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