rule changes for rosters in 2022

[djoctagone]

26-man rosters through 31 august, with a limit of 13 pitchers. rosters expand to 28 after 1 september, with a limit of 14 pitchers.

[djoctagone]

any player who is optioned to the minor leagues after the third day following labor day shall receive major league service (but not major league salary) for the duration of his optional assignment.

[djoctagone]

the tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players is now the friday immediately before thanksgiving. for 2022, that'd be 18 november.

this is notable, because the deadline to protect players from the rule 5 draft under the previous collective bargaining agreement was 20 november (or the weekday preceding it, as in the case with the 2021 deadline).

this is significant, because it could mean that clubs get to clear 40-man roster space via non-tenders before the deadline to add players to the 40-man to protect them from the rule 5 draft.

obviously, speculating here, because we don't know when the rule 5 protection deadline is going to be.

[djoctagone]

On 3/11/2022 at 6:04 AM, djoctagone said:

let's assume that the roster management rules for covid-19 outbreaks in 2021 remain the same moving forward under the new cba.

will a player on the 40-man roster on optional assignment who is recalled during an outbreak as a replacement be returned (not optioned) to the minor leagues when one of the original outbreak players is returned to the active roster? and therefore, in being returned to the minor leagues (not optioned), does that not count against the five options rule?

if it does count against the five options rule, will clubs be more likely in an outbreak to activate players on minor league contracts (i.e. not on the 40-man), knowing that they can just return them to the minor leagues without outright waivers and without eliminating one of five allowed optional assignments of a 40-man player?

with regards to roster management, i'm not seeing any major changes from last year's rules.

taxi squads of up to five players are permitted. if there are five players, one must be a catcher.

if you're placed on the covid-19 injured list, it's a restricted list, and you're removed from the 40-man roster.

modification to the "outbreak" rule (defined as "significant" in this article) . . . it also allows teams to place players on a restricted list if they cannot meet the vaccination requirements to travel into canada. if the number of players is significant (last year it was three or more), then replacement players can be added without having to return them via outright waivers or optional assignment waivers.

presumably, this "significant outbreak" rule would affect the new york yankees and new york mets if new york city's private employer vaccine requirement remains in place.

also presumably, this means that a 40-man player who had been on optional assignment that is promoted as a replacement during significant use of a covid-19 restricted list would not burn one of his five options turns when returned to the minor leagues.

what i believe is a new ruling: if a player tests positive while designated for assignment, the designation shall be negated and he would go on the covid-19 injured list.

still unknown: will unvaccinated players be forced to go on the covid-19 injured list if deemed close contact with personnel testing positive, and will the requisite be seven days and a negative test at the conclusion of those seven days? again, we know that jace peterson went on the covid-19 injured list last year because he was unvaccinated. even if he had tested negative each and every day during those seven days, he couldn't come off the restricted list.

[djoctagone]

13 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

still unknown: will unvaccinated players be forced to go on the covid-19 injured list if deemed close contact with personnel testing positive, and will the requisite be seven days and a negative test at the conclusion of those seven days? again, we know that jace peterson went on the covid-19 injured list last year because he was unvaccinated. even if he had tested negative each and every day during those seven days, he couldn't come off the restricted list.

this article states that "the requirement for tracing wristbands that were used last year is omitted". presumably, that means that mlb has eliminated the restricted list mandate for asymptomatic unvaccinated players.

[djoctagone]

also unknown:

--when a player is designated for assignment, will a club still have seven days to trade, release or outright him to the minors?

[djoctagone]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:43 AM, djoctagone said:

--are the contracts for jandel gustave, jace peterson, pedro severino and rowdy tellez fully guaranteed as they were signed under the previous collective bargaining agreement?

the new cba rule to guarantee contracts for arbitration-eligible players who avoid a hearing doesn't go into effect until after the 2022 season. thus, those contracts are non-guaranteed, and the brewers can release them before opening day and only pay a pro-rated portion of their salary.

[djoctagone]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:43 AM, djoctagone said:

--does a player still retain his option year if he spends less than 20 days on optional assignment in a single season?

yes, and he's credited with a full year of major league service if he spends the entire season on either the 40-man roster, the major league covid-19 injured list and/or the major league 60-day injured list.

[djoctagone]

 

[djoctagone]

 

[djoctagone]

rosters to contract from 28 to 26 after 1 may. no limit on number of pitchers until the 26-man roster is set.

[645]

3 hours ago, djoctagone said:

 

Wow, They made up a new rule for just 1 player.

[jerichoholicninja]

Surprised they did that with the DH but that's been the high school rule for a few years now so it's not something they completely made up.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

How does this work on a scorecard?  Does the starting pitcher basically transfer position from SP to DH then?

[Brock Beauchamp]

22 hours ago, 645 said:

Wow, They made up a new rule for just 1 player.

Right now it’s one player. I suspect MLB wants to pave the way to allow more players to try their hand at being the next Ohtani. Persoanlly, I think it’s a pretty good rule because two way players are fun and should he encouraged. 

[jerichoholicninja]

17 hours ago, ClosetBrewerFan said:

How does this work on a scorecard?  Does the starting pitcher basically transfer position from SP to DH then?

If it's like high school, the SP would be listed as DH and SP. So he's essentially DH'ing for himself.

[djoctagone]

 

[djoctagone]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:26 PM, djoctagone said:

the requisite stay for pitchers on optional assignment and for the injured list (non-concussion) has been increased to 15 days. it remains at 10 days for position players.

new ruling announced yesterday: through 1 may, the requisite stay for pitchers is at 10 days for both the injured list and optional assignment. starting 2 may, it increases to 15 days.

[djoctagone]

On 3/10/2022 at 5:01 PM, djoctagone said:

--players can no longer be sent on optional assignment unlimited times in a given season. a player can be sent to the minor leagues on optional assignment a maximum of five times. if the club wishes to send him to the minor leagues after being optioned five times, he must be placed on outright waivers.

new ruling announced yesterday: any optional assignments made prior to 2 may do not count against the five-time limit.

[djoctagone]

On 3/22/2022 at 6:09 PM, djoctagone said:

rosters to contract from 28 to 26 after 1 may. no limit on number of pitchers until the 26-man roster is set.

29 players allowed for doubleheaders through 1 may.

[djoctagone]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:15 PM, djoctagone said:

for the next five seasons under the new cba, the commissioner will be able to set the trading deadline between 28 july and 3 august.

 

[djoctagone]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:00 AM, djoctagone said:

new ruling announced yesterday: through 1 may, the requisite stay for pitchers is at 10 days for both the injured list and optional assignment. starting 2 may, it increases to 15 days.

i would assume that optioning (or injured list placement) for any pitcher prior to the sunday 1 may game would be a convenient way to keep that pitcher down for just 10 days, instead of 15.

will be interesting to see if the brewers take advantage of this loophole.

[djoctagone]

 

[nate82]

43 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

 

They should probably just extend it until the All Star break.  It will probably be extended again in June anyways.  

[djoctagone]

On 4/26/2022 at 10:05 AM, djoctagone said:

 

if the brewers continue to have 14 pitchers on their roster through 29 may, it's convenient that they have a doubleheader the next day against the cubs. thus, the pitcher that they cut could be kept on hand as the 27th man that day.