Blayne Enlow and flexible 40-man roster spots

[Otto von Ballpark]

Mostly overshadowed by the Correa press conference on the same morning, Seth reported last week that six minor league pitchers were optioned.

Blayne Enlow was included in that group, after I had earlier suggested that wasn't possible due to Enlow's injury status (he is still recovering from Tommy John surgery). I was mistaken!

As a general rule, most players can't be optioned while injured -- that much is correct. However Enlow falls into a small exception. Here's the explanation from that fantastic roster and transaction rule resource The Cub Reporter: Restrictions on Optioning/Recalling Players to/from the Minors

Quote

3. Generally an injured player cannot be optioned to the minors. However, an injured player who did not accrue any MLB Service Time during the previous season, has not accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time, and was not selected in the previous Rule 5 Draft, can be optioned to the minors during a period of time beginning on the first day of Spring Training until the 15th day prior to the start of the next MLB regular season. 

Enlow fell into that group for the Twins this spring.

Optioning Enlow means the Twins will save MLB service time and salary, but it also means Enlow still occupies a 40-man roster spot. The Twins could have chosen instead to place Enlow on the MLB 60-day IL, thus freeing his 40-man spot for someone else. Iin fact, the Twins could still change course at anytime by calling up Enlow and immediately placing him on the 60-day IL, but that's unlikely to happen now this spring. (The Twins did this with an injured JT Chargois in order to add Michael Tonkin to the roster, but that was in September 2017 when Chargois stood to gain relatively little service time and salary in the season's final weeks.)

This leaves the Twins with a little less 40-,man roster flexibility this spring than I had originally thought, which may impact how many non-roster players can make the team (if any).

Beyond Enlow, whose 40-man spots do you think are most flexible for the Twins right now?

[Squirrel]

It was reported that he has been pitching and the expectation was that he would see game time in early May (in Wichita), which is probably why he hasn't been placed on the 60-day IL, and, may not, so his roster spot may not free up anything on the 40-man.

[Otto von Ballpark]

3 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

It was reported that he has been pitching and the expectation was that he would see game time in early May (in Wichita), which is probably why he hasn't been placed on the 60-day IL, and, may not, so his roster spot may not free up anything on the 40-man.

That's encouraging, but going on the MLB 60-day IL now wouldn't have prevented Enlow from pitching in Wichita in early May. It would have only prevented him from pitching in MLB during the first 60 days of the season. He would have been eligible to pitch in the minor leagues during that time on a rehab assignment.

By June 6th (the 61st day of the MLB season), Enlow would have been eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL and his rehab assignment, and either join the MLB roster or (more likely) get optioned to the minor leagues at that time.

[Dman]

I was bummed by the lack of roster flexibility but glad he will be returning to action sooner than expected. He can't be an option to help the MLB team this year but next year he might be able to so he is going to need a spot for a while it looks like.

[ashbury]

10 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

That's encouraging, but going on the MLB 60-day IL now wouldn't have prevented Enlow from pitching in Wichita in early May. It would have only prevented him from pitching in MLB during the first 60 days of the season. He would have been eligible to pitch in the minor leagues during that time on a rehab assignment.

By June 6th (the 61st day of the MLB season), Enlow would have been eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL and his rehab assignment, and either join the MLB roster or (more likely) get optioned to the minor leagues at that time.

Rehab assignments can't be for the entire 60 duration of the IL status, can they?  I'm thinking it's more like 20-30 days max.

[Squirrel]

19 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

That's encouraging, but going on the MLB 60-day IL now wouldn't have prevented Enlow from pitching in Wichita in early May. It would have only prevented him from pitching in MLB during the first 60 days of the season. He would have been eligible to pitch in the minor leagues during that time on a rehab assignment.

By June 6th (the 61st day of the MLB season), Enlow would have been eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL and his rehab assignment, and either join the MLB roster or (more likely) get optioned to the minor leagues at that time.

Well, from how I read it (from Seth in the Minor League forum):

"Enlow will start the season on the Wind Surge Injured List, but don't be surprised if he's back to pitching in games by May. He had Tommy John surgery last May."

So, that sounds to me that the hope is he will be pitching in actual games, off the IL in early May. So, putting him on the 60-day wouldn't have fit in that timeline? Yes? It's all still confusing  

[Rosterman]

Enlow will open the season on the injured list at Wichita. Will he remain there, or go down to the Florida complex and pitch in that environs? I imagine he will go to Florida and then make roster rehab moves to Ft. Myers or Cedar Rapids befoe a return to Wichita.

 

Yes, the Twins could have basically done the same by putting him on the 60-day to get that 40-man spot, but then Enlow would've spent 60 days in Florida (he still might, then can always retroactive if they wish). 

 

Also, because he was injured last season while a minor league guy, this was possible.

 

If a 40-man guy IS injured in spring training before being optioned out, he needs to go on the MLB disabled list. Which is why those with little chance are optioned out sooner rather than later, and thenc alled back to play in games as needed.

 

Kudos if we get Enlow back into the swing sooner ather than later. 

 

Can't wait to see how the Twins sort out the pitching logjam for AAA/AA, where more than 40 names are currently looking for roster spots.

[Otto von Ballpark]

11 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

So, that sounds to me that the hope is he will be pitching in actual games, off the IL in early May. So, putting him on the 60-day wouldn't have fit in that timeline? Yes? It's all still confusing  

A minor league rehab assignment is actual minor league games. So in terms on Enlow's ability to pitch for Wichita in May, there's no real difference whether he's on the Wichita active roster, or assigned to Wichita on a minor league rehab assignment.

[Otto von Ballpark]

16 minutes ago, Rosterman said:

Yes, the Twins could have basically done the same by putting him on the 60-day to get that 40-man spot, but then Enlow would've spent 60 days in Florida (he still might, then can always retroactive if they wish). 

Not true, see my post above -- 60-day IL guys don't have to stay in Florida for 60 days. (Would that be a punishment or reward?  ) They can be sent to other minor league teams for rehab assignments during those 60 days.

For example, Trevor May opened the 2018 season on the 60-day IL, was sent to high-A for a rehab assignment on May 12, then moved to Rochester to continue his rehab assignment on May 17. Finally, he was activated and optioned to Rochester on June 7.

[IndianaTwin]

So in summary, is this the list of things they can do? 

• Put him on the Wichita IL and then activate him when healthy.
• Call him back up, immediately put him on the 15-day IL and then let him pitch in Wichita as part of a rehab assignment when healthy.
• Call him back up, immediately put him on the 60-day IL and then let him pitch in Wichita as part of a rehab assignment when healthy, but not activate him in Minnesota before June 7.

If those are correct, it seems like our front office is once again managing flexibility well. Until opening day, they still have the ability to add someone to the 40-man (i.e., a new signing/trade acquisition or one of the folks on a minor league) contract by doing the third option. If they don't have anyone to add by that point, they still have maximum flexibility with Enlow by doing one of the first two option and not putting him on the 60-day IL. If there's even a smidge of possibility that he could be needed and pitching for the Twins before June 7, those are the approaches they take.

So in essence, any upcoming moves affecting the 40-man roster will point out their perspective on Enlow's upcoming potential and progress. One could say that they already tipped their hand with the Lewis Thorpe move, but that may have also been a "this is the time to sneak him through" move.