Five Players Fans Would Like to See Added to Team USA’s WBC Roster Ahead of the Deadline
On Thursday, February 5th at 6:00 PM ET, fans of the World Baseball Classic will be able to see the full rosters revealed for all 20 teams in the field on MLB Network. Fans of Team USA have already seen several intriguing additions to the team ahead of the tournament, which will kick off on March 5th. Their lineup features last season's AL MVP Aaron Judge and runner-up Cal Raleigh. The top of the pitching staff could be even more intriguing, as it includes both Cy Young winners from last season in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. Team USA currently has 24 of its 30 spots confirmed. The roster so far also includes 12 position players and 12 pitchers. With the remaining six roster spots, it will be intriguing to see if they end up adding any other starting pitchers or perhaps some additional high-leverage relievers to complement a bullpen that already features Mason Miller, David Bednar, and Griffin Jax. It feels safe to say that there will be at least a couple of position players added to the roster as well ahead of the deadline. They could look to add a third catcher, a fifth outfielder, or perhaps another infielder to add to an already stacked group consisting of Bobby Witt Jr, Gunnar Henderson, and newest Chicago Cub Alex Bregman.
C J.T. Realmuto - Phillies
If Team USA decides to add a third catcher to its roster, J.T. Realmuto might be the most plausible option. He was the starting catcher for Team USA during their last WBC run. Realmuto batted seventh during their Championship Game loss to Team Japan. There’s no question that Realmuto has shown signs of decline in each of the last few seasons at the big league level. He’s now 34 years of age, and he had just a 91 OPS+ last season compared to his 130 OPS+ that he put up in the 2022 season. The Phillies showed that they think he’s still an above-average major league catcher after they signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason.
RHP Logan Gilbert - Mariners
Arguably the best possible starting pitcher that Team USA could still add to their already impressive pitching staff is 28-year-old Mariners righty Logan Gilbert. Team USA has already added the consensus top two pitchers in the world to their staff with Skenes and Skubal. After that, in the rotation, they have two very solid options with Joe Ryan and Logan Webb. Two fantastic starters, but neither was able to rack up a strikeout rate like Gilbert did last season. In 25 starts with Seattle last season, Gilbert had an 11.9 K/9. A fair amount higher than Webb’s 9.7 K/9 and Ryan’s 10.2 K/9. Surely Team USA and its fans would love to add a pitcher with that kind of strikeout stuff to its staff.
LHP Josh Hader - Astros
If Team USA wants to add another proven high-leverage reliever to their squad, Josh Hader might be their guy. Hader has been one of the most accomplished closers in the league over the last few seasons during his time with Milwaukee, San Diego, and Houston. Out of all relievers since 2020, Hader has the second-most saves in the majors with 177. Last season, when healthy, he was at his best. In 48 appearances, Hader had a 2.05 ERA with an absurd 13.0 K/9. If Hader gets added to Team USA’s roster, their back-end bullpen duo of Hader and Mason Miller would be a cheat code.
RHP Cade Smith - Guardians
Another dominant reliever that Team USA could still look to add to their roster. Cade Smith has been a standout reliever in a setup role for Cleveland since he debuted two seasons ago. Since his debut, he ranks third amongst all major league relievers in strikeouts with 207. Smith was a workhorse for Cleveland last season; his 76 appearances were tied for fifth in the majors. His four-seam fastball would immediately become one of the best pitches in Team USA’s bullpen. It generated a 32.2% whiff rate last season, and opposing hitters batted .170 against it.
OF Mike Trout - Angels
The most obvious answer on this list is the captain of Team USA during the last WBC. Mike Trout did say after the loss to Japan in 2023 that he did intend to suit up again, but he’s yet to make any official announcement on his intentions for 2026. Trout has certainly lost a step and isn’t quite the player he was four seasons ago, but it’s hard to imagine a Team USA team without him. He wasn’t bad last year for the Angels, as he finished with a 121 OPS+ and was mostly healthy, playing in 130 games overall. It’s still a step back from his remarkable career of 169 OPS+ over 15 major league seasons. If Team USA wants another outfielder on its roster and Trout is still interested in playing, it’d be great to see him suit up for a second WBC.
