Longtime MLBers not eligible for minor league free agency?

diamond3017 · 05-31-2021, 03:38 AM

One thing I've noticed is that guys with several MLB years who spent less than six seasons in the minors don't become minor league free agents at the end of the season. So for example, a guy with 11 MLB years and 13 pro years who signs a minor league deal will have his minor league contract renewed at the end of the year if he is not promoted to the majors.

Weirdly enough, those guys are technically Rule 5 eligible, so you'll see names like JD Martinez or Felix Hernandez in the Rule 5 pool.

In real life, isn't any minor league contract signed after a player's first pro deal technically a one-year deal? I understand if this is too complicated to include in the game, but I wanted to point out this odd thing that pops up every offseason.

edit: Maybe every player who has enough MLB time to refuse a minors assignment (or simply enough to be eligible for MLB free agency) should be granted minor league free agency instead of having his contract renewed? Seems simple enough.

05-31-2021, 03:38 AM	#1
diamond3017 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 88	Longtime MLBers not eligible for minor league free agency? One thing I've noticed is that guys with several MLB years who spent less than six seasons in the minors don't become minor league free agents at the end of the season. So for example, a guy with 11 MLB years and 13 pro years who signs a minor league deal will have his minor league contract renewed at the end of the year if he is not promoted to the majors. Weirdly enough, those guys are technically Rule 5 eligible, so you'll see names like JD Martinez or Felix Hernandez in the Rule 5 pool. In real life, isn't any minor league contract signed after a player's first pro deal technically a one-year deal? I understand if this is too complicated to include in the game, but I wanted to point out this odd thing that pops up every offseason. edit: Maybe every player who has enough MLB time to refuse a minors assignment (or simply enough to be eligible for MLB free agency) should be granted minor league free agency instead of having his contract renewed? Seems simple enough. __________________ Last edited by diamond3017; 05-31-2021 at 04:21 AM.