[USML Announce] Pre-Opening Day Retention and Draft Rules to Remember

[Richard E. Robbins]

Here are a few reminders of some of our rules that apply when we draft
before opening day:

What's the impact on retention rosters?

None.  We go with a 9+3 structure, which means that you can keep nine
players drawn from your entire roster (any mix of major and minor league
players) plus up to three others who haven't lost rookie status and who
don't have a running USML contract.  If the player is in the NL, you can't
keep him though.

The general rule is 17.1:

For each Roster Freeze Day, each team may retain from the prior season no
more than 9 of the players from its Active and Reserve Rosters. Players
protected may include players who have spent the entire previous season on a
Reserve Roster. A player who is in the National League on Roster Freeze Day
may not be retained. 

The plus 3 rule is 17.5:

In addition to the players that a team may protect from its roster of Active
and Reserve Roster players pursuant to Section 17.1, a team may also protect
an additional three players on its Reserve Roster, provided, that such
players have major league rookie status and have never been on the Active
Roster of a League team (without regard to anticipated opening-day major
league status). 

How will players be slotted on draft day?

We have mandatory slotting rules that normally force players who make the
opening day roster to the active roster and others to the reserve roster
(with permissive slotting for players on the DL).  When we draft before
opening day we slot according to whether a player has a running contract and
without regard to anticipated opening day status.  That means that some
players who will likely start with the major league club will be slotted
down.

The slotting rule is 17.4:

Protected players who, on Draft Day, are on an American League team's major
league roster shall be assigned to the protecting team's Active Roster.
Protected players who, on Draft Day, are on an American League team's major
league disabled list shall be assigned to the protecting team's Active
Roster unless the protecting team elects to assign such player to its
Reserve Roster, such election to be made not later than the commencement of
the Auction. Protected players who, on Draft Day, are not on an American
League team's major league roster or disabled list shall be assigned to the
protecting team's Reserve Roster. If the Auction shall be held before the
opening day of the baseball season, a protected player who, on Draft Day,
has not completed his first "season" within the meaning of Section 16.2
shall be assigned to the protecting team's Reserve Roster, otherwise, such
player shall be assigned to the protecting team's Active Roster (in each
case, without regard to anticipated opening-day major league status, but
subject to the the second sentence of this Section 17.4). This Section 17.4
does not change the application of Section 17.3. 

What about salaries?

All USML active roster players count against the $260 limit.  Reserve roster
players with running contracts count against the $260 limit.  Reserve roster
players without running USML contracts don't count.

The rule is 17.3:

The cumulative salaries of players protected immediately prior to the
Auction shall be deducted from the team's $260 expenditure limit, as well as
any amounts deducted in accordance with Section 16.6, with the balance
remaining available for the acquisition of the remaining players needed to
complete the team's Active Roster. However, the salary of a player protected
on Roster Freeze Day (assuming that such player remains on a team's Active
Roster or Reserve Roster on Draft Day) shall not be deducted from the $260
limit if, on Draft Day, such player is not on an American League team's
major league roster or disabled list and such player has not completed his
first "season" within the meaning of Section 16.2. 

Who is going to be auction eligible?

Normally, we look to the major league rosters, i.e., minor league players
are typically not eligible.  However, when we draft before opening day we
look to 40 man rosters with a special rule that allows owners to identify
players who are not rookies and who are under contract with an AL team but
not on the 40 man roster.  

The relevant rule is 4.3:

Any player on an American League team's major league roster or disabled list
may be acquired in the Auction. Minor league players and unsigned players
are not eligible for acquisition in the Auction. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the Auction shall be held before the opening day of the
baseball season, (i) all players on an American League team's 40-man roster
on Draft Day (or on a different day prior to Draft Day as the League, by
general agreement, shall determine) will be eligible to be acquired in the
Auction, regardless of expected major league status and (ii) any player not
on an American League team's 40-man roster on Draft Day (or relevant
different day) will not be eligible for to be acquired in the Auction,
regardless of expected major league status; provided, however, that any
non-rookie who is under contract with any American League team will be added
to the pool of players eligible to be acquired in the Auction if any USML
team designates that player to be added to the pool by Roster Freeze Day.
Any player who is purchased in an Auction that takes place before the
opening day of the baseball season will begin the season with Year One
contract status, even if the player is not on a USML team's Active Roster on
the opening day of the baseball season.
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