For most of my life — and indeed, most of baseball history — Major League Baseball rosters sat at 25 for most of the season before expanding to 40 on September 1st. While few teams actually utilized the entire roster, this practice afforded teams greater flexibility in the final month of the season. Contending teams would bring up depth pieces, such as a third catcher and a few additional relievers, as well as pinch-runners, pinch-hitters, and defensive specialists meant to aid in their quest for a postseason berth. Teams out of the hunt, meanwhile, would promote prospects on the cusp of a big league call-up, giving them a cup of coffee in The Show with an eye towards the future.
How the Yankees are solving their September roster crunch
