It’s that time of year again where teams are making the last few decisions about their 25 and 40 man rosters. 

Most teams would like to have one extra spot to use, but not even the Yankees have that luxury.  25 is the limit for your active roster and if the numbers don’t add up, someone’s got to go.

The process of elimination has already seen many a prospect ending their Major League adventure for the time being and heading back to the Minors.  With so many players in camp at the start of Spring Training, it’s a wonder that teams can keep a track of them all. 

I’m currently reading an upcoming book called New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life, a very enjoyable collection of great quotes and photos from the Bronx Bomber’s history.  One of my favourite photos is a shot of Casey Stengel from the spring of 1949.  He’s looking (relatively) dapper in a pinstriped suit staring up at a massive black board containing name after name of players in the Yankee’s system. Some have stars next to their name, although it’s not clear what this denotes.  Below the blackboard are a series of clipboards, with what appear to be lineups and statistics fastened to the front.

No doubt teams use a more sophisticated computer system now, although Moneyball showed that GM’s still like having a physical chart of players on the wall that they can refer to, even if the electricity goes down (so long as a candle or torch is on hand).

Although position battles don’t seem quite so prevalent as in years past, every team will have one or two spots that could still go either way.  GM’s like to downplay the significance of Spring Training stats, but (rightly or wrongly) an impressive performance during the period can make the difference when two players are closely matched. 

Every decision leads to a winner and a loser.  It must be unbelievably demoralizing to be told you’ve not made the roster with just a week to go before the season starts.  Spare a thought for those guys this week.

And it’s not just the Minor Leaguers who can be cut adrift.  The Tigers’ surprising decision to release Gary Sheffield today is proof of that.  Geoff Jenkins has also been released by the Phillies, just six months after being on cloud nine as part of their World Series winning team.

Decisions such as these may now have a knock-on effect.  Sheff certainly isn’t the player he once was, but he could still help a team, especially as a DH.  His release could have sent a team or two into some frantic discussions: would he be a good fit for us? Does it make financial sense? Have we just stumbled on a player who could make a difference?

As one door closes, another door opens.  Expect more than a few transactions to take place over the next five or six days.