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Originally Posted by gmo
This is something that has confused me. I thought an option year was not used up unless a player gets called up.
But things I've looked at seem either ambiguous about this - e.g., http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/transanctionsprimer.html - {When a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the 25-man Major League roster, he is on "optional assignment." One common misconception about the rules is that a player may only be "optioned out" three times. Actually, each player has three option years, and he can be sent up and down as many times as the club chooses within those three seasons. When you hear that a player is "out of options," that means he's been on the 40-man roster during three different seasons, beginning with his fourth as a pro, and to be sent down again he'll have to clear waivers.}
...or seem to point toward being on the 40-man using up an option year whether called up or not - e.g., http://groups.msn.com/BaseballForum/...tionrules.msnw - {Once a player is added to the 40-man roster, the parent club can send him down to the minors on "optional assignment" in 3 separate seasons. You don't need to actually be on the 25-man roster for an option year to be used; being on the 40-man roster in spring training and optioned to the minors before the season is enough to make the season count as an option year. If a player is never sent down, however, he doesn't use an option year.}
Seems likely something clarifying this has been posted here before though I could not find it with a quick search. Can somebody straighten out a lazy guy like me on exactly what the MLB rules are? Does zero callups but being on the 40-man use up an option year in MLB as it apparently does in OOTP? |
Thanks for doing that legwork. That's extremely interesting, to note that if you are not optioned down, you don't use an option year - this would explain why some players can be active for parts of more than three seasons and still be sent down - because they never were sent down before?
This is one of baseball's most confusing rules, but I think we need to get more clarity on it. I'm certain I have players who are starting their option years before they ever set foot on my 40-man, so that's still an issue.