The minor league guys and the guys with options who’ve been riding the shuttle should “have to force their way into the roster” as bosox79 said.
I don’t find the argument that “they’ll be blocked” compelling at all for 2 reasons.
First, there are 7 relievers, there will be injuries and some of them will be ineffective. Brasier’s 2018 is as likely a mirage as real. The only one who should get much rope at all is Barnes. Plenty of opportunity for someone dominating AAA like Brasier last year to get a run.
Second, Feldman was merely decent in high A last year not dominant, and so no rational championship minded team plans on someone like that jumping 3 levels in one season or even 2. He’d be a huge success if he’s ready in 2021. Lakins was decent in AAA last year despite already being 25; his ZiPs projections are awful, as they are for everyone else not named Barnes, Brasier, or Hembree. There’s no reason to think he’s any better than Hembree and Workman, if that. And another Hembree is not what they need. They need set up guys, not mop up guys. Hernandez is putting up dominant numbers in relief. He’s someone I’m excited about —for 2020 — if he dominates AA and AAA in 2019.
One other guy no one is talking about is this Taylor guy they put on the 40 man for seemingly no apparent reason. Maybe they’ve got proprietary stuff that causes them to think he’s the next rags to riches reliever.