[redsof72]

For those who like to follow the rosters during the season, one big change you will see this year:

For the past several years, if the high-A club in Sarasota needed a player for a couple of weeks or less, they would just bring someone over from the minor league complex (extended spring guys in the first half, GCL guys in the second half). It saved the cost of a plane ticket and saved a player the trouble of having to pack up and move to a new city, find a new place to live, etc. Therefore, you saw Gregorius in high-A, Puckett in high-A in '08, and countless other examples of this happening.

That obviously will change in 2010 and beyond. The extended spring guys and the AZL guys (who replaced the GCL) are now a long way from any of the affiliates. There would be nothing to gain by moving those guys up for short term needs.

Adjustments will have to be made. You may not see as many moves, period. You probably will see each club carry a player on the phantom DL who can be activated immediately if a need arises. You may see some teams have to play a little short-handed for a few days in some cases. Players may have to play positions for a few games that they might not have been asked to play in past years. In short, it will not be as easy to make short-term changes if a pitcher has to miss a start or a position player has to miss a week or so. If Lynchburg needs a player, he will not be walking over from the other side of the property. It probably will result in some tougher decisions for the farm director on when to make changes, which players to leave where they are, and which players to put on a plane.

Long-term changes should not be affected.