Rule Changes for rosters in 2020

[djoctagone]

insight on this twitter thread:

 

the only way to remove a healthy player lacking 40-man roster status from the 60-man player pool is to release him. in order to remove a healthy 40-man roster player from the 60-man player pool, the club must expose him to outright or release waivers and risk losing him.

 

if there is an instance where three or more players are placed on the special covid-19 injured list, clubs can add replacement players to their 60-man pool and add them to the active roster. when a club decides their services are no longer needed (i.e. the players placed on the special injured list are cleared to return), those replacement players do not have to be exposed to outright or release waivers in order to be removed from the 60-man player pool.

looks like the phillies were the first team to take advantage of the potential transaction exemptions by apparently putting four players on the special covid-19 injured list, and then adding others to their player pool. the media is referring to this as "an outbreak".

 

when a player is placed on the injured list, it's common for fans to know what the injury is. with the covid-19 injured list, we may not formally know because of privacy laws, but astute persons will be able to draw reasonable conclusions--especially after the fact (i.e. a replacement player isn't subjected to normal outright waivers when removed from the 40-man roster and returned to the player pool, and/or a player is activated from the injured list before the minimum 10 days has passed).

 

this may be an advantage for players not on the 40-man roster with major league experience when there is "an outbreak", because they can be added to the 40-man roster and then returned to the player pool without outright waivers once the "outbreak" player returns to the active roster.

 

again, a player doesn't have to test positive to be placed on the covid-19 list. if he has confirmed exposure to someone who tests positive, he can be placed on the covid-19 list.

 

will clubs be able to abuse this rule by placing two or three underperforming players with no symptoms who were playing alongside or against a player who tested positive, and then activate keon broxton, shelby miller and drew rasmussen--knowing full well that none of them would have to be exposed to waivers to return them to the player pool? (i am assuming that a player previously outrighted to the minor leagues would not be able to refuse any subsequent outright assignment and become a free agent.)

 

i expect grievances to be filed by players--especially those who happen to have played alongside or against a player who tests positive. what was the frequency and duration of contact? does that constitute placement on the covid-19 injured list?

 

this could get ugly . . . and give lots of power to clubs regarding roster flexibility.

eric lauer, angel perdomo and luis urias have all been placed on the injured list, but without specifications from the club as to why. we know that perdomo and urias have both tested positive. will lauer count as the third player who tests positive, develops symptoms or has confirmed exposure to someone who tested positive?

[djoctagone]

eric lauer confirms exposure to someone who tested positive, so the brewers did place three players on the special covid-19 injured list at the same time.

[djoctagone]

reportedly, the transactions freeze ends friday 26 june at 11:00 am central.

trades can only include players from the 60-man player pool. it's unclear if teams are permitted to include cash or a player to be named later in a deal.

the royals traded cash or a player to be named for a rule 5 draft player who had already cleared outright waivers.

[djoctagone]

something else that i believe we're still unclear on . . .

 

minor league rehab assignments can be up to 20 days for position players and up to 30 days for pitchers.

 

what is in place now, and what is the length of a minor league rehab assignment for a player such as luis urias, who then must either be activated or optioned to alternate camp at the conclusion of said rehab assignment?

[djoctagone]

--we don't know if or how long there will be a requisite stay for players sent down on optional assignment. normally, it'd be 15 days for pitchers, and 10 days for position players. seeing as there's no minor league club to report to on optional assignment, it seems unreasonable to expect a requisite stay--especially with a shortened season.

 

--we don't know how optional assignments will work for the 20 additional players on the 60-man roster, and for that matter, for players who were on the 40-man roster when transactions froze. if they spend more than 20 days on optional assignment, do they burn an option?

i reached out to the author of this article (he got a copy of the 101-page 2020 mlb operations manual).

 

he confirms that the requisite stay (barring an injury or 27th man) for any player on optional assignment is 10 days. thus, the new rule of 15 days down for pitchers doesn't go into effect.

 

he also confirms that players will burn an option after 20 days on optional assignment. the clock starts with opening day.

[djoctagone]

insight on this twitter thread:

 

the only way to remove a healthy player lacking 40-man roster status from the 60-man player pool is to release him. in order to remove a healthy 40-man roster player from the 60-man player pool, the club must expose him to outright or release waivers and risk losing him.

 

if there is an instance where three or more players are placed on the special covid-19 injured list, clubs can add replacement players to their 60-man pool and add them to the active roster. when a club decides their services are no longer needed (i.e. the players placed on the special injured list are cleared to return), those replacement players do not have to be exposed to outright or release waivers in order to be removed from the 60-man player pool.

looks like the phillies were the first team to take advantage of the potential transaction exemptions by apparently putting four players on the special covid-19 injured list, and then adding others to their player pool. the media is referring to this as "an outbreak".

 

when a player is placed on the injured list, it's common for fans to know what the injury is. with the covid-19 injured list, we may not formally know because of privacy laws, but astute persons will be able to draw reasonable conclusions--especially after the fact (i.e. a replacement player isn't subjected to normal outright waivers when removed from the 40-man roster and returned to the player pool, and/or a player is activated from the injured list before the minimum 10 days has passed).

 

this may be an advantage for players not on the 40-man roster with major league experience when there is "an outbreak", because they can be added to the 40-man roster and then returned to the player pool without outright waivers once the "outbreak" player returns to the active roster.

 

again, a player doesn't have to test positive to be placed on the covid-19 list. if he has confirmed exposure to someone who tests positive, he can be placed on the covid-19 list.

 

will clubs be able to abuse this rule by placing two or three underperforming players with no symptoms who were playing alongside or against a player who tested positive, and then activate keon broxton, shelby miller and drew rasmussen--knowing full well that none of them would have to be exposed to waivers to return them to the player pool? (i am assuming that a player previously outrighted to the minor leagues would not be able to refuse any subsequent outright assignment and become a free agent.)

 

i expect grievances to be filed by players--especially those who happen to have played alongside or against a player who tests positive. what was the frequency and duration of contact? does that constitute placement on the covid-19 injured list?

 

this could get ugly . . . and give lots of power to clubs regarding roster flexibility.

i got this wrong, and i apologize. after re-reading the tweets referenced above, i realized i needed to do more digging, and found this excellent article written by a lawyer who's seen the 101-page manual outlining the 2020 mlb season and the collective player pool (cpp).

 

this "outbreak clause" only affects players in the club player pool at alternate camp who are placed on the special covid-19 injured list:

 

there is one potential reprieve listed in the manual. suppose three or more players that are not on the active roster (who are training at the alternate site) have to be placed on the covid-19 related injury list. those placements open up spots on the cpp. if the club replaces those players on the cpp with other players in the organization, mlb reserves the right to allow the club to take the substitutes off the cpp when the sick players get healthy without releasing the substitutes.

thus, the brewers do not have any roster management advantage because eric lauer, angel perdomo and luis urias were all placed on the covid-19 injured list simultaneously. my apologies again for misunderstanding this clause.

[wildcat83]

I know owners don’t want it for payroll, but man there’s a lot of positives for expanded rosters. Watching a guy like Devin Williams get MLB experience and not having to use a Claudio/Wahl type reliever in a 5 run game is nice. Last year Claudio is eating an inning in that game having thrown the night before, and we have less options tomorrow.

 

Some would say high payroll teams would have an advantage but honestly the Brewers depth and creativity might actually help them balance out the Dodgers ability to give out Betts type deals. I hope rosters can stay slightly bigger moving forward.

[djoctagone]

reportedly, the transactions freeze ends friday 26 june at 11:00 am central.

trades can only include players from the 60-man player pool. it's unclear if teams are permitted to include cash or a player to be named later in a deal.

a player to be named later was permitted in this deal. furthermore, the named player had a spot on the 60-man club player pool, but had been removed from his club's cpp, but had remained in the organization.

 

so, presumably, provided you've had cpp status at some point in 2020, you can be traded. also presumably, when reporting to your new club, you must be assigned to that club's cpp--either to the alternate training site or the major league roster.

[djoctagone]

30-man roster proposed for first 14 days of season.

 

28-man roster proposed at day 15.

 

teams must pare down to a 26-man roster by day 29.

 

pre-pandemic, clubs had 27 days in september to carry a 28-man roster.

the players union is pushing to extend the 30-man roster.

[djoctagone]

considering that the brewers start a stretch of 17 games in 17 days on friday and that a week from tomorrow, they are supposed to pare down to a 28-man roster, advantage to the brewers for an extension of the 30-man roster.

 

seeing how good counsell has been with an expanded roster in past septembers, i'm hoping it happens.

[djoctagone]

rosters are supposed to pare down to 28 on thursday.

 

negotiations are still going on to extend the use of 30-man rosters.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

rosters are supposed to pare down to 28 on thursday.

 

negotiations are still going on to extend the use of 30-man rosters.

 

What is there to negotiate? It's a good idea, so just do it.

[SeaBass]

rosters are supposed to pare down to 28 on thursday.

 

negotiations are still going on to extend the use of 30-man rosters.

 

What is there to negotiate? It's a good idea, so just do it.

This just seems way too logical and easy. No wonder they haven't done it.

 

Of course, the issue as always is money. The billionaire owners are just too gosh darn poor to afford the two extra end of the bench players they'll have to pay for longer than they originally planned on.

[djoctagone]

it appears that roster sizes will be trimmed to 28 on thursday, but remain at that level for the rest of the season and the postseason. originally, rosters were going to be trimmed to 26 on 20 august and kept at 26 all the way--even into the postseason.

[SeaBass]

Despite my earlier criticism (which was partially tongue in cheek) that seems fair.

[djoctagone]

it appears that roster sizes will be trimmed to 28 on thursday, but remain at that level for the rest of the season and the postseason. originally, rosters were going to be trimmed to 26 on 20 august and kept at 26 all the way--even into the postseason.

a 29th man will be allowed for doubleheaders.

[djoctagone]

a reminder that a 29th man is allowed for doubleheaders. presumably, the reds have a taxi squad in milwaukee and will recall or select one of those players tomorrow.

[djoctagone]

the brewers are off today, in case that gives you more time to read the 2020 mlb operations manual . . .