Examining Vanderbilt baseball's roster options after transfer portal deadline

The first wave of Vanderbilt baseball's offseason attrition is done.

The deadline to enter the transfer portal was July 1 in order to be eligible immediately for the 2023 season. While players do enter the portal in the fall, the majority of those not currently in the portal who are not draft-eligible will be on the team next season. The MLB Draft, which begins in two weeks, will trim the roster further.

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, teams had an unlimited roster size in 2021 and a 40-man roster in 2022. In 2023, rosters will be going back to 35 with a caveat: a team can have up to 40 players if the five extra players lost their 2020 season.

Currently, Vanderbilt has 15 returning, non-draft eligible players, 19 commits and 15 draft-eligible players. The Commodores had 35 active players in 2022 and 11 inactive players. Seven of those 11 inactive players have since entered the portal.

Here's the roster outlook for the 2023 season:

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Starting pitching

Chris McElvain, the Friday starter for much of 2022, is likely to begin his professional career, and Christian Little, used as a spot-starter, transferred to LSU. But Vanderbilt returns several pitchers who were part of the rotation last season. Sophomore left-handers Carter Holton and Devin Futrell are the early favorites to fill the Friday and Saturday spots. Others in play include juniors Patrick Reilly and Hunter Owen, sophomore Bryce Cunningham and incoming freshman Andrew Dutkanych, who withdrew from the MLB Draft to attend Vanderbilt.

Relief pitching

Vanderbilt's relief corps took a heavy hit, as the majority of its bullpen arms in 2022 are either draft-eligible or in the portal. Bullpen stalwarts Nick Maldonado and Thomas Schultz will have draft offers, and so could draft-eligible sophomore Grayson Moore.

The biggest bullpen wild cards in 2023 will be Sam Hliboki and Michael Doolin. The pair are both draft-eligible, but after missing time to Tommy John surgery (Hliboki last pitched in a game in April 2021 and Doolin in March 2020), they seem unlikely to be drafted. The two could be large contributors in 2023.

Sophomore left-hander Ryan Ginther also seems in line for a bigger role. He had 12 strikeouts to two walks in 7⅔ innings. Rounding out the group is redshirt freshman Colton Regen.

Catcher

Vanderbilt is very thin at catcher with Anthony Migliaccio and Sam Hunt, both of whom redshirted in 2022, entering the portal. Junior Jack Bulger is draft-eligible but may return for another season; if he does not, the Commodores may need to look to the portal.

Bulger is likely to start if he returns. Behind him are junior Alan Espinal and incoming freshmen Logan Poteet and Cade Law.

Infield

The transfers of Carter Young and Gavin Casas, as well as longtime starters Tate Kolwyck and Parker Noland being draft-eligible, has left this area dangerously thin. The only sure returners are sophomores Davis Diaz, Rob Gordon and Jonathan Vastine.

Noland could return, but if he doesn't, Vanderbilt will have to look to the portal or turn to incoming freshmen like Sal Stewart, Chris Maldonado or RJ Austin.

Outfield

Junior Enrique Bradfield Jr. figures to be one of the top players in the country in 2023. Around him, junior Calvin Hewett and sophomore Matthew Polk have both flashed ability at times.

Outfield is also the position where draft-eligible players are most likely to return. TJ McKenzie and Troy LaNeve got minimal playing time in 2022, making them unlikely to be drafted, but could still break out as seniors. Fifth-year senior Javier Vaz also could return. Redshirt freshman JD Rogers rounds out the unit.

Among the transfer losses in the outfield were two-year starter Isaiah Thomas, reserve outfielder Kenny Mallory and redshirt freshman Christian Smith.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt baseball roster options after transfer portal deadline