Atlanta Braves mailbag: Rule changes, Taijuan Walker, and Brock Holt

Atlanta Braves fans see a roster nearly complete, but who fills the twenty-sixth roster spot and could the Braves add another pitcher?

In case you missed, or forgot about it, with all of the Atlanta Braves news this postseason, MLB announced significant rule changes for the 2020 season. These changes increase roster size and affect construction.

• The active roster  increases from 25 to 26 players
  • Teams may add a 27^th player for doubleheaders
  • From September 1 through the end of the year, roster size increases to 28
  • Teams must designate each player as either a pitcher or position player before the player’s first day on the roster for the season
  • No player designated as a position player may pitch unless:
    • The player is designated a two-way player,
    • It’s an extra-inning game, or
    • The team trails by more than six runs
• Before September 1, the roster may contain no more than 13 pitchers
• A relief pitcher must face three batters unless they end a half-inning or an injury forces him from the game.
• Pitchers put on the injury list must stay for at least 15 days.
• Pitchers optioned to the minors must remain there for 15 days.

The changes reflect the way the game changed over the last two decades. Heavier – almost mind-numbing at times – use of relief pitchers forced teams to increase the size of their bullpens and reduce the number of bench players.

The new rules address those changes, by adding a player to return the bench to five players without shorting the bullpen.

The change also prevents teams whose bench players nap through games are rarely used (AL teams) from adding yet another bullpen arm.

Pitching changes are time-consuming, and the presumptive increase gained is often so tiny it makes no difference. Requiring a relief pitcher to face three batters ends the matchup-madness all managers seem to catch, so they aren’t forced to answer why they did it.

I suggested two batters per pitcher in an interview five years ago; I still believe that’s a better number than three, but no one asked me last year.

Got all that? Good, there may be a test later.