Expiring Minor Leaguer Rule Refresher

[ex-Pittsburgh Pirates]

Just a reminder as this is one of the more confusing rules (and it doesn't come up very often.)

If you have a minor leaguer with an expiring minor league contract (i.e. he only has 1 year left on your minor league sheet), then you will lose that player UNLESS you choose to sign him to a major league rookie contract. This is a new option that was granted a few years ago. We grandfathered the rule change in and there might be a handful of "old rule" minor leaguers still around. So if you have a minor leaguer with an "old rule" asterisk, this does not apply to him. The "old rule" prospects MUST go back into the MiLB draft. But if he is NOT designated "old rule", then you have the option to sign him.

If you sign him....
-he must take one of your 25 active roster spots.
-you cannot cut him or put him on the waiver wire until he reaches rookie status (150/50)
-if yahoo does not add him to the player database (because he's still in the minors) then you have to roll with 24 players on your yahoo roster.
-if he still doesn't have 150/50 and his major league contract expires, he goes back into the MiLB draft.


This thread might help explain it. doincashmansjob.proboards.com/thread/5894/rule-situation

[Minnesota Twins]

how come you can't put him on the WW?

[Deleted]

I remember this rule going into place. I believe Desmond Jennings was the player in question. He did not achieve his 150 ABs and had no minor league years remaining and really no league value in the second half of the season. I remember noting I would hate to lose a player because of injuries or poor play that ate up his minor league years. Some of these players on our minor leagues are only 17, so even if assigned 5 years they would have make it to the big leagues by age 22 and that's not always likely to happen. So instead of losing a potentially good player due to wasted years, we now have the option to sign them to a major league contract. Milwaukee kind of disagreed, arguing that's way he only signed college players and not high school players thus leading to the (* old rule) and compromising if we sign a payer of this status, he can not be released, or wavier wired thus creating a hindering problem if the owner.

To finish this up, this players must remain on your 25 man roster as Pittsburgh explained but I think the player could be traded with the same rules applied. I also think the player could move to DL if the player is on the MLB DL.

Glad Pittsburgh remembered this.

[Admin]

toronto, this applies to heath hembree. you can decide and lmk of your decision.

[torontobluejays]

I want to keep Hembree on my roster.