40 Man Question..

by AdjustedExpectations on Nov 6, 2009 8:53 AM EST Comment 5 comments

I'm currently researching something I've been wondering for a while, and I've came across a question that I can't readily find an answer to.

When reading about the Rule 5 draft it states

Players are eligible for selection in the Rule 5 draft who are not on their major league organization's forty man roster and:

- were signed at age 19 or older and have been in the organization for four years; or

- were signed at age 18 or younger and have been in the organization for five years.

Now I fully get what that says, I just don't get how it's calculated. Service time is easy, and well covered - this.. I'm not finding much.

For example:

If a player is drafted and signs quick and then goes and plays short season ball (or A, AA). Is his "years been in the organization" starting the day he signed? What about the draft picks that don't start until the next year? Or the ones that pitch a couple of games (IIRC, like Lynn) and get shut down for the season.

I guess I'm just trying to see what exactly constitutes a year in MLB eyes. Service time is very precise on how it's calculated, but I'm not sure *when* teams are required to use the 40 man. If I can define what they mean by "years", it should be easier to find out, but the CBA doesn't have anything that I can see.

Any idea?

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I believe that

it’s from the time they sign the contract, and the deadline for the contract signing is always at the end of August for drafted players. I’m also assuming that the date of the contract is what they use for players signed from outside the United States.

I’m basing this on the baseball reference pages for players who’ve been in the Rule 5 draft the last three years and looking at their numbers in the minor leagues and how they were acquired (via the draft or a foreign signing).

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Nov 6, 2009 9:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

after some digging I found this http://wiki.soxprospects.com/Rule+51 which I take means if you’re on a minor league roster for 30 days instead of inactive, that’s your year. Does this correlate with what you’re seeing?

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by AdjustedExpectations on Nov 6, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

The guys who missed entire seasons, like Josh Hamilton and Ryan Ludwick, ended up with an extra year.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Nov 6, 2009 11:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wasn't referring to Ludwick

as an example of a Rule 5 player, just as a player who missed time and the team controlling him didn’t have to release him due to 40 man roster restrictions.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Nov 6, 2009 11:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A couple of basics...

A year spent entirely in short season leagues doesn’t count. If a player signs in June and is assigned to Rookie ball, that season doesn’t count. However, if he is promoted to a full season league (there might be a 30 day minimum) it then counts.

If a player signs in June, spends the rest of the year in Rookie ball, comes back the next year and stays in extended ST until the summer-A leagues start, then goes to summer-A (i.e., the Northwest League), that doesn’t count either.

Also, if a player spends more than X days on a full season minor league DL, that season doesn’t count. (I think X = 90, but I’m not sure.)

If a player on the 40 man roster is optioned to AAA and spends more than 90 days on the AAA DL, he doesn’t burn an option for that year.

Hope that helps…

"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007

by DeRoMyHero on Nov 9, 2009 10:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs