[wish7694]

Remember we are talking about the time between the 40 man roster being announced and 15 days before the season starts, at all other times what LGO said above would be true.

Here is the section of the CBA relevant to the spring training discussion Article XIX (C):

(2) Notwithstanding Section C(1) above, a Player who is injured
and not able to play may be assigned to a Minor League club:

...

(b) During the period immediately following the filing of
Major League Reserve Lists and before the 15th day prior to the
start of the next championship season, if:
(i) the Player has less than three years of Major League
service;
(ii) the contemplated assignment would not be the Player’s
second (or subsequent) career outright assignment since
March 19, 1990;
(iii) the Player had no Major League service the prior
championship season; and
(iv) the Player was not selected by the assignor Major
League Club in the immediately preceding Rule 5 Draft.


Throughout the CBA assignment is used in reference to trades, waivers, optional assignments, and outright assignments. While section (ii) does apply to outright assignments, I do not read into this that this entire section of the CBA is therefore only talking about outright assignments.

LGO is right, outrighting a player during spring training rarely makes sense, therefore what is the purpose of this section? To put down a very specific set of circumstances where a player with the major league team during spring training can be sent to the minors when injured. Why? So as to avoid the service time generated if he is placed on the major league DL.

So, this section states (as I read it),

(i) the player must have less than 3 years of MLB service (generally speaking this player would have options left)

(ii) IF it is an outright assignment it cannot be the players 2nd outright

(iii) and (iv) self explanatory