3 Atlanta Braves who will make the September roster, but don’t deserve it
By Mark Powell
The Atlanta Braves have some tough decisions to make ahead of the September roster deadline.
The September roster rules are confusing for those unfamiliar. While MLB previously allowed teams to carry 40 players on the active roster after Sept. 1, that has since changed as of last season. MLB.com offers a relatively simply explanation:
"The hard cap at 28 is an important distinction from Septembers of old. Previously, clubs could call up any member of the 40-man roster for the month. That is no longer the case, though even a boost of two extra players should be helpful for the stretch run."
For a contending team like Atlanta, those extra two players could very well determine whether they can hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers for homefield advantage. Alex Anthopoulos is one of the best front-office executives in baseball, but even he makes mistakes. Now just a few days away from Sept. 1, it looks like these three players will be on the active roster once the month begins. Perhaps Atlanta will have to learn the hard way.
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Braves who shouldn't be on September roster: Darius Vines
Darius Vines is a tremendous story, as he's set to make his MLB debut at 25 years old. However, the issue here is who Vines is keeping down at the minor-league level. Atlanta has trotted out at least 12 starting pitchers this season amid injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright. While both will soon be back, it's become clear that Michael Soroka is the most MLB-ready pitcher in their system. Yet, Anthopoulos continues to keep the former All-Star down in the minors for service time manipulation. FanSided's John Buhler explained this factor a few weeks back:
"It may be a tad sneaky, and borderline unethical, but that is baseball for you. Where things currently stand with Soroka, he is arbitration eligible for 2024 and will be hitting unrestricted free agency in 2025. Obviously, the Braves want to extend that as a long as possible. He last pitched for the Braves on July 21 in a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. When will he return next?...So with about roughly 20 days left before he gets five full years of MLB service, look for Soroka to be recalled to the big-league roster one last time in mid-September by the time rosters expand."
Soroka should make the roster come mid September, but he won't be on the 28-man unit come Sept. 1 for a reason, and that reason is greed.