Whatever happened to the 26th man, anyway?
Some club executives explored free-agent signings last November under the belief that the new collective-bargaining agreement would increase the roster size from 25 to 26.
The players and owners indeed discussed such an expansion in exchange for a 28-man roster limit starting Sept. 1, according to major-league sources. But after the union raised concerns about the service-time implications for potential September call-ups, the two sides ran out of time to include such a provision in the CBA, sources said.
The trade-off, however, still makes sense.
A 26th man would provide clubs with added depth at a time when player health is an increasingly significant concern.