×Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin - San Diego Padres

Freddy Fermin and Jake Cronenworth of the San Diego Padres high five during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 3, 2025

Doug Melvin spent most of two decades as the general manager of MLB teams but one of his lasting legacies is his opposition to a rule that was eventually changed after his tenure. Melvin was a frequent critic of baseball’s September roster rules, which at the time allowed teams to call up as many members of their 40-man roster as they wished for the season’s final month. The rule meant that teams often played stretch run games with an uneven number of players available if one club had more injuries or had opted not to call more players up. That rule was eventually changed in 2020.

Fast forward to today,

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