When the last month of the regular season arrives, MLB gifts its teams with two additional roster spots. Ballclubs will be able to carry 28 players instead of the usual 26, beginning on Sept. 1.
Contenders will use the extra players to bolster their roster before the postseason. Teams out of the running for the playoffs will call up future stars to get them some early big-league experience. This puts the Boston Red Sox in a tough spot.
The Sox, like a few other teams, are trapped in limbo — they're close to a wild card spot, but not close enough to bank on making the postseason, especially factoring in the difficulty of their remaining schedule.
What do MLB expanded rosters look like in 2024?
Previously, teams could call up any members of the 40-man roster when September kicked off. MLB has since changed the rules to allow only two additional players to be carried on the roster, an increase from a 26-man to a 28-man squad.
Clubs can carry a maximum of 14 pitchers on their roster after expansion. The Red Sox have 13 pitchers on the 26-man roster, so they would only be able to add one hurler on Sept. 1.
The Red Sox should call up Chase Meidroth and Richard Fitts on Sept. 1
Can't keep Chase off the bases!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) August 28, 2024
The 23-year-old infielder went 2-for-3 with a triple and three walks in yesterday's @WooSox win. pic.twitter.com/8U0Ru60vRL
Surely Red Sox fans would love to see Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel or Kristian Campbell called up when rosters expand. While they would all be great choices, they just reached Triple-A in August, and the Sox would probably like to give them more time there before throwing them into the fire of a big-league playoff race.
Chase Meidroth would be another great choice to bolster Boston's roster. The infield prospect has been in Triple-A all season and he's been a beacon of consistency for the WooSox. Meidroth gets on base at a high clip and strikes out rarely in comparison, and the Red Sox can use all the help they can get at not striking out.
Meidroth is slashing .303/.451/.425 with a .876 OPS over 106 games. He's fanned 55 times and walked a staggering 94 times — MLB's Jonathan Mayo accurately referred to him as "an on-base machine."
Richard Fitts came to deal!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) August 15, 2024
He finished last night with 5IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K pic.twitter.com/TYTvMx5Vcr
The Red Sox could also use their fair share of pitching help, and Richard Fitts could be the solution. Many of Boston's top pitching prospects are struggling or injured, like Wikelman González, Luis Perales, or the recently acquired Quinn Priester, and Fitts may be its best option.
Fitts had a rough July with the WooSox, which caused his season ERA to creep up to 4.39 over 110.2 innings. He's since found his footing again in August and posted a 2.89 ERA over five starts. Fitts could assist Boston's bullpen in a long-relief role or make spot starts if it needs reinforcements to the rotation.