Three open questions before the WBC roster lands, and the overseas players are the big one
The staff’s problem is not who to pick. It is that some of the picks may not be released.
With the roster due, the staff face three questions: whether overseas clubs release their pitchers, how the CPBL playoff calendar overlaps, and how many catchers to carry.
The first is the hardest. MLB clubs put strict limits on pitcher usage, and even when the player wants to come, the club can decline, or agree with an innings cap.
The real variable is pitching depth
The lineup has been stable for a few years now, and last year’s qualifier proved it. But a rotation missing two overseas arms runs out of gas after the second round.
On the domestic side the problem is timing: the playoffs overlap with camp, and players on contending teams cannot report early. The staff are holding three roster spots open until the last moment.
{"q":"We are not picking the ten best players. We are picking twenty-eight who can finish the tournament together.","by":"A member of the coaching staff"}
Catcher count is the old argument. Three costs you a position player; two leaves you exposed to one injury. The current thinking is three, with one of them able to cover first base.
