Padres' latest sweep of roster cuts brings MLB roster down to 40 players

Opening Day for the San Diego Padres is just a few days away, which means it is crunch time for roster decisions. The Friars have seen several worthy players on the fence of making the team audition for a spot on the 40-man roster.

With a long line of catchers, Brett Sullivan was designated for assignment, which made room for shortstop Mason McCoy to have his contract selected. Also, Tirso Ornelas was unsurprisingly sent to the minor leagues despite a strong showing at spring training.

Padres' latest sweep of roster cuts brings MLB roster down to 40 players

Sadly for Sullivan, there was essentially no room for him on the team once San Diego signed Elias Diaz and Martín Maldonado. Even when it was just Luis Campusano and himself on the roster this offseason, it was pretty clear that Sullivan wasn't ever going to see much playing time. He batted .208 this spring with four RBIs, which is actually more than Maldonado and Díaz combined. The Padres still don't have a great resolution to their problems at catcher, but at least we now know Sullivan is definitely not part of the equation.

After an interesting route to where he is now, McCoy has a spot on the 40-man. The 29-year-old shortstop was non-tendered by the Padres this winter, but then re-signed with the club soon after. He could be a pinch-run option or a backup middle infielder, but McCoy will have to compete with Jose Iglesias for that role. Iglesias also made the team, per Jon Heyman. This spring, McCoy has definitely stood out, homering twice to accompany an .883 OPS.

As for Ornelas, fans really felt like he deserved a nod onto the Opening Day roster. He began the spring 9-for-his-first-22 (.409), but has cooled off a bit since then, and is hitting .256 this month. At 24 years old, Ornelas gives the impression that he is on the precipice of being ready for the next level, but he still needs a bit more time to develop, perhaps. Jason Heyward and Connor Joe will lock it down in left field in the mean time, but we shouldn't forget about Ornelas. Ideally, he has a strong first month in Triple-A, and he gets his promotion.