PG,
I have great respect for your input and experiences. I will respectfully add my two cents again around guaranteed roster spots...
My boys want to be starters on their teams. Not roster spot holders.
At no time did we encounter a coach who committed to my boys any playing time or position, only a chance to compete for such in the Spring. Every coach that offered a guaranteed Spring roster spot did that conditionally, i.e., for the first Spring only, and presuming appropriate academic, athletic and off the field behavior.
And the coaches that offered scholarships, or preferred walk on status, or guaranteed Spring roster spots, etc., did so after seeing my boys play, i.e., the kids "earned" it during the recruiting process. And yes, it could be taken away if the players don't do the appropriate academic, athletic, and off the field work.
We did encounter many coaches recruiting kids for Fall rosters and Fall tryouts. My boys received recruiting phone calls, emails, texts, etc., from coaches as did my boys' peers. Some coaches were transparent about this. Some weren't. Ultimately just recruiting them to come to college to tryout in the Fall. We certainly had coaches ask my boys "are you afraid of competition?".
My boys aren't afraid of competition. They just want to play college baseball at a school that fits academically and athletically.
IMHO, if a coach is actively recruiting a player, that should be for the first Spring roster. Nothing more, nothing less. If a player is not recruited and just goes to an open Fall tryout, then let the chips fall where they may.
Recruiting players for a Fall roster only and Fall tryout is fine by me if the coach is 100% transparent that they are doing this. As I mentioned, our local D2 had over 90 players out this Fall. Most, but not all, of these players had been recruited by the coaching staff.
Some coaches are incented by admissions to bring as many kids as possible in the door. Some coaches don't want to make any commitments until after everyone tries out in the Fall. Understanding that as a prospective college player / parent is a very important part of the process IMO.