14 players on 13u roster-issues with playing time

My son is on his second year with a 13U travel baseball team. Last summer, he was invited back after tryouts by a new coach. We chose to stay with this team and turned down an opportunity with a 14U team that matches his school grade because we felt another year at 13U would give him time to physically mature and develop.

The coach sold the program as being development-focused rather than win-focused. My son had a good fall season and started regularly.

In November, the coach added two more players, bringing the roster to 14. That concerned us because it meant 4-5 players would be sitting every game. By that point, we had already signed the contract, paid team fees, ordered uniforms, and most other teams had finalized rosters.

Fast forward to this summer. My son sat 3 of 4 games at the most recent tournament and has seen limited opportunities overall. He’s a solid defender, makes consistent contact, has a good approach at the plate, and typically works deep counts. His batting average isn’t great at the moment, but many of his balls in play have been hit directly at fielders.

The bigger issue for us is the lack of communication. No coach has spoken with him about his role, development plan, areas for improvement, or what he needs to do to earn more playing time. After sitting an entire pool-play game at a previous tournament, he respectfully asked the coach why he didn’t play. The response was essentially that the coach was playing the kids who were hitting at the moment.

That surprised us because the team was presented as a developmental team. They also don’t hold many outdoor field practices, so it’s difficult for players to improve and demonstrate progress outside of games.
We’re meeting with the coach soon.

**My questions are:**
\-Is it reasonable to expect developmental playing time on a 13U team carrying 14 players?

\-Is it reasonable to expect coaches to communicate with players about playing time and development?

\-What questions would you ask the coach before deciding whether to stay or leave?

\-If you felt the team was no longer delivering what was promised when you committed, would you ask the organization for a prorated refund if you left?

Looking for perspectives from coaches and parents who have been through similar situations.