SF Giants now can use lever to manage 40-man roster if needed

With spring training getting underway, teams now have access to a lever that is not available in the offseason. The SF Giants can now use the 60-day injured list to create extra space on the 40-man roster.

SF Giants now can use lever to manage 40-man roster if needed

The good news is the Giants appear to be healthy for now. That said, baseball happens and teams need to consider alternatives when a player is injured.

For the most part, there are two types of injured-list designations. The first is the regular injured list that is either 10 days for position players or 15 days for pitchers. When teams use this one, those players still occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

If an injury is more severe such as Tommy John surgery, players can be transferred to the 60-day injured list. These players still accrue service time but it also opens up a spot on the 40-man roster. Once they are ready to be activated, the team needs to make a roster move or two to bring them back to the 40-man roster.

The 60-day injured list is not available during the offseason. It can be used as soon as spring training opens but there is a catch. The retroactive date is not until the first game of the season, so even if a player is put on the 60-day injured list in February, that clock does not begin until the first game of the year.

The 60-day injured list could become an important lever for the Giants as they get closer to the regular season. Hopefully, this does not happen but if a player suffers a major injury, the 60-day injured list could become a possibility.

The Giants might need to use that lever to open up space on the 40-man roster. Several veterans such as Joey Lucchesi, Lou Trivino, and Max Stassi are in camp as non-roster invitees. If they perform well in camp and the Giants want to add them to the 40-man roster, they can open up space by putting a player on waivers or using the 60-day injured list.

The Giants have three players entering camp without any minor league options remaining, so that could be one avenue explored. More often than not, teams want to preserve as much depth as possible at the start of the year, so designating a player for assignment is not the first option even if there is no clear role.