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Cubs 40-Man Roster


Notes | Roster Rules & Procedures

LAST UPDATED: 7-2-2009

CUBS MAJOR LEAGUE RESERVE LIST (40-MAN ROSTER):

38 PLAYERS (two slots open)

Player's listed Age is his age on July 1, 2009.

MLB Service Time has been verified and is accurate through the 2008 season. It goes by the format of Years.Days, meaning 2.055 is equal to 2 years and 55 days. 172 days equals a full season.

Option Years Left "N/A" = Not Applicable. (Players who have accrued at least five years of MLB service time cannot be optioned to the minors without their permission).

(Column sorting tested on IE7, Firefox 1.0++ and Safari v3++. Javascript must be enabled for it to work properly. It does not work well if you're using any version of Safari below version 3).

 

Last Name First Name Positions Jersey # Bats Throws Age Service Time Option Years Left
Ascanio Jose SP/RP 58 Right Right 24 0.066 1 (See Notes 1 & 3)
Atkins Mitch SP 60 Right Right 23 0.000 3
Berg Justin RP 64 Right Right 25 0.000 3
Cotts Neal RP 48 Left Left 29 4.028 1 (See Note 3)
Dempster Ryan SP 46 Right Right 32 10.063 N/A
Fox Chad RP 44 Right Right 38 9.054 N/A
Gregg Kevin RP 63 Right Right 30 5.002 N/A
Guzman Angel RP 37 Right Right 27 2.095 0
Harden Rich SP 40 Left Right 27 5.074 N/A
Hart Kevin RP 22 Right Right 26 0.109 2
Heilman Aaron RP 47 Right Right 30 4.123 N/A (See Note 2)
Lilly Ted SP 30 Left Left 33 8.102 N/A
Marmol Carlos RP 49 Right Right 26 2.084 1 (See Note 3)
Marshall Sean SP/RP 45 Left Left 26 2.088 1 (See Note 3)
Mateo Marcos SP 62 Right Right 25 0.000 3
Patton David RP 54 Right Right 25 0.000 X (See Note 5)
Samardzija Jeff SP 29 Right Right 24 0.066 2 (See Note 1)
Stevens Jeff RP 52 Right Right 25 0.000 3
Waddell Jason RP 43 Left Left 28 0.000 3
Wells Randy SP 36 Right Right 26 0.038 2 (See Note 4)
Zambrano Carlos SP 38 Both Right 28 7.042 N/A
Hill Koyie C/3B 55 Both Right 30 2.006 0 (See Note 4)
Soto Geovany C 18 Right Right 26 1.096 0
Baker Jeff 3B/1B/RF 28 Right Right 28 2.049 0
Blanco Andres SS/2B 13 Both Right 25 0.128 0 (See Note 4)
Fontenot Mike 2B/3B 17 Left Right 29 1.139 1 (See Notes 3 & 4)
Fox Jake 1B/LF/RF 5 Right Right 26 0.020 1
Freel Ryan 3B/LF/CF 4 Right Right 32 5.014 N/A
Hoffpauir Micah 1B/LF/RF 6 Left Left 29 0.064 2
Lee Derrek 1B 25 Right Right 33 10.125 N/A
Miles Aaron 2B/SS 7 Both Right 32 5.027 N/A
Ramirez Aramis 3B 16 Right Right 31 9.111 N/A
Scales Bobby 2B/3B 24 Both Right 31 0.000 3
Theriot Ryan SS 2 Right Right 29 2.118 2 (See Note 3)
Bradley Milton RF 21 Both Right 31 7.169 N/A
Fukudome Kosuke CF/RF 1 Left Right 32 1.000 4 (See Note 1)
Fuld Sam CF/RF/LF 27 Left Left 27 0.027 2
Johnson Reed CF/LF/RF 9 Right Right 32 5.145 N/A
Soriano Alfonso LF 12 Right Right 33 8.079 N/A
Last Name First Name Position Jersey # Bats Throws Age Service Time Option Years Left

15-DAY DL: RHP Chad Fox, RHP Angel Guzman, LHP Jason Waddell, INF Aaron Miles, 3B Aramis Ramirez, and OF Reed Johnson.

OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT: RHP Jose Ascanio, Mitch Atkins, Justin Berg, Marcos Mateo, and Jeff Stevens, LHP Neal Cotts, and INF Bobby Scales.

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THE 40-MAN ROSTER:

The MLB Reserve List limit is 40 players for each MLB club, which is why the MLB Reserve List is also called the "40-man Roster." And the MLB Active List limit is 25 players Opening Day through August 31st (it's 40 players September 1st through the last game of the regular season), which is why the MLB Active List is also known as the "25-man roster. At the end of each MLB season, only those players on a club's 40-man roster who have contracts for the following season are considered "signed players," but the other players on the 40-man roster are still under club control (they are "reserved").

MLB ARTICLE XX FREE-AGENTS

Per Article XX of the MLB-MLBPA CBA, players who have accrued at least six years of MLB Service Time who are not signed for the following season are eligible to file for free-agency during the Free-Agency Filing Period, which extends for 15 days beginning the day after the conclusion of the World Series. If a player files for free-agency under Article XX, the player's former club retains exclusive negotiating rights with the player until the conclusion of the Free-Agency Filing Period. Once the Free-Agency Filing Period has concluded, the player is free to sign a major league (or minor league) contract with any club, including with the player's former club.

Each MLB club must decide by December 1st whether to offer salary arbitration to its Article XX MLB free-agents. In order to receive a compensatory draft pick or draft picks in the next year's Rule 4 Draft (1st Year Player Draft) for losing a Type "A" and/or Type "B" MLB Article XX free-agent, a club must offer arbitration to the player. And if salary arbitration is offered, the free-agent player has until December 7th to either accept or decline the offer. If the player accepts the offer of salary arbitration, the player is considered to be "reserved," and the player must be immediately returned to his club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), and the player and the club proceed onward through the salary arbitration process. If a player is offered salary arbitration but declines, or if the club does not offer arbitration, the player is free to sign a major league (or minor league) contract with any club, including the player's former club.

If a Type "A" or Type "B" Article XX free-agent signs a minor league contract with a new club, or if the free-agent signs a Major League contract with a new club after the Rule 4 Draft in June, the player's former club does NOT receive draft pick compensation, even if the player's former club offered arbitration on 12/1. However, MLB clubs are not permitted to sign an Article XX Type "A" or Type "B" free-agent to a minor league contract for the purpose of circumventing compensation.

An Article XX MLB free-agent who signs a Major League contract after the conclusion of the Free-Agency Filing Period receives automatic "no trade" rights that extend through June 15th, even if the player re-signs with his former club. An Article XX MLB FA who receives "no trade" rights as the result of signing after the conclusion of the Free-Agency Filing Period can waive the right, but if he does, his club can trade the player only for player contracts and/or cash with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000.

ADDING PLAYERS TO AN MLB RESERVE LIST

A free-agent who signs a Major League contract must be added to his club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster). A club also must add a player to its 40-man Roster if the player is acquired as the result of a waiver claim, or when a club acquires a player who was on another club's 40-man roster in a trade, or if a club selects a player in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. In addition, an MLB club (generally) has the option to add any player who is on the reserve list of one of its minor league affiliates to its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) at any time. The exceptions are:

1) A minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be added to an MLB 40-man roster during the period of time beginning with the filing of MLB and minor league reserve lists on November 20th through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.

2) A player who is sent outright to the minors cannot be added back to his club's MLB 40-man roster during the period of time extending from the fifth day after the conclusion of the World Series up through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.

3) An unsigned minor league player who is eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league free-agent (player was previously released in his career and/or player has spent all or part of at least seven separate seasons on a minor league active list or disabled list) cannot be unilaterally added (by selection) to his club's MLB 40-man roster any later than the fourth day following the conclusion of the World Series. (A club retains exclusive negotiating rights with its own Rule 55 minor league free-agents until the end of the MLB Free-Agency Filing Period, at which point the player can sign a major league or minor league contract with any MLB club, including the player's former club).

4) A player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who is given his Outright Release during the period of time extending from September 1st up until Opening Day of the following season cannot be added back to the MLB 40-man roster of the club that released the player until May 15th, and a player on an MLB 40-man roster who is given his Outright Release during the period of time extending from Opening Day through August 31st cannot be added back to the MLB 40-man roster of the club that released him for at least 30 days.

PERFORMANCE-INCENTIVE BONUSES

Performance-incentive bounses are allowed in Major League contracts, but a bonus cannot be based on batting or pitching skill, or where the club finishes in the standings. A performance-incentive bonus can, however, be tied to days spent on an MLB Active List (25-man roster) during the MLB regular season, and/or Games, Games Started, Games Finished, and/or Innings Pitched for pitchers, or Games Played, Games Started, and/or Plate Appearances for position players.

TENDERING CONTRACTS

All players on a 40-man roster who are not already signed for the following season must be tendered contracts on December 12th. This includes players who can have their contracts unilaterally renewed by their club if they are not signed by the first week of March (so-called "auto-renewal" guys) and players who are eligible for salary arbitration. All players on a 40-man roster must be offered at least the MLB minimum salary ($400K in 2009) and at least 80% of their previous season's salary. "Auto-renewal" players also have a "minor league split" salary in their contract which they receive if they are optioned to the minors. (The 2009 minor league "split" minimum is $32,500 for players who are on the 40-man roster for the first time, and a minimum $65K for all other players, and a player's minor league split salary must be at least 60% of what the player was actually paid the previous season).

If a player is tendered a contract on 12/12, the player is "reserved" and remains on the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster). If a player is not tendered a contract on 12/12, the player is said to be "non-tendered" and the player immediately becomes an unrestricted free-agent, free to sign a major league (or minor league) contract with any club, including the club that non-tendered the player. A non-tendered player receives no termination pay.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

An unsigned player under club control who has accrued at least three but less than six years of MLB Service Time is automaticaly eligible for salary arbitration. Also, players with at least two years but less than three years of MLB Service Time who accrued at least 86 days of MLB Service Time the previous season can qualify for salary arbitration as a so-called "Super Two" if the player is among the top 16% in MLB Service Time of players in that group.

If a club and a player eligible for salary arbitration cannot agree on a contract, either the club or the player can request salary arbitration during the ten-day period extending from January 5th to January 15th. Once arbitration has been requested and both parties have been notified, the club and the player formally exchange salary figures, and a hearing is scheduled with a three-person arbitration panel (the hearings are usually held during the first three weeks of February). The club's offer must be at least the MLB minimum salary and must be at least 80% of the player's previous year's salary and at least 70% of the player's salary from two seasons back (the one exception being if the player received a raise in excess of 50% through the salary arbitration process the previous season, the club only has to offer at least the MLB minimum salary).

After arbitration has been requested, the player and the club can continue to negotiate back & forth, and the player can withdraw from the process any time up until the hearing. And in fact this frequently happens, as the player and the club agree to essentially "split the difference" (something the panel cannot do). If the matter does go to a hearing, the arbitration panel must choose either the club's offer or the player's figure.

Win or lose, the player is awarded a standard one-year MLB contract with no "minor league split" salary or incentive/performance bonuses, and the contract is not guaranteed, so if the player is released during Spring Training, the club would only owe the player 30 days or 45 days salary as termination pay, depending on when the player is released. (A player receives 100% of what remains of his salary if he is released during the regular season). The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is very sensitive about salary arbitration, so if a player who was awarded a contract through the salary arbitration process is released during Spring Training, the MLBPA will almost certainly file a grievance on behalf of the player, claiming the player was released for economic reasons only (which is not permitted), and asking that the released player receive 100% of his salary as termination pay. In that situation, a club would only have to show (by submitting official Spring Training game stats) that the released player was outperformed in Spring Training games by another player (or players) competing for that roster spot.

AUTO-RENEWAL (PRE-ARBITRATION)

For any unsigned player under club control who does not yet qualify for salary arbitration and where the player is tendered a contract on 12/12, the player ultimately has to either take what he is offered by the club or just not play. A player in this class really has no leverage. A club (usually the Assistant GM) will negotiate with an "auto-renewal" player up to a point, but the club wants to sign the player for as little as possible. If the player and the club ultimately cannot agree on a deal by the first week of March, the club has the right to unilaterally and automatically "renew" the player's contract for an amount not less than the MLB minimum salary (which will be $400K in 2009) and not less than 80% of the player's previous year's salary. Hence the term "Auto-Renewal."

MINOR LEAGUE OPTIONS

Normally, a player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man Roster) is alloted three minor league option years. This means the player can be sent to the minors and be available 24/7 for recall back to the major league club whenever the player might be needed during the course of three different seasons. Note that if a player spends 20 or more days of an MLB regular season on Optional Assignment to the minors, an option year is expended, but if the player spends 19 or fewer days of an MLB regular season on Optional Assignment, an option year is NOT expended and the player accrues a full season of MLB Service Time (a full season of MLB Service Time is 172 days). Also, if a player with minor league options remaining is sent outright to the minors and then is returned to the MLB 40-man roster later that season, an option year is spent, even though the player was not optioned to the minors.

After three minor league option years have been spent, the player is said to be "out of options" and the only way the club can send the player to the minors is by removing the player from the 40-man roster and sending him "outright" to the minors. And the club can do this only after first securing Outright Assignment Waivers (which are irrevocable) from the other 29 MLB clubs.

However, players who have accrued less than five "full seasons" of MLB and/or minor league service are eligible for a 4th minor league option. A player accrues a "full season" when he spends at least 90 total days on the Active List of an MLB and/or full-season minor league club or clubs in a given season, or at least 60 days but less than 90 days (total) on the Active List of an MLB and/or full season minor league club or clubs, followed by a Disabled List assignment where the combined time spent on the Active List and Disabled List equals at least 90 days.

NOTE 1 - As of Spring Training 2009, Jose Ascanio will have used three minor league options (he was optioned to the minors in 2006, 2007, and 2008), but because he has spent only four “full seasons” on an active minor league or MLB roster through the 2008 season, he will be eligible for a 4th minor league option in 2009, Jeff Samardzija has used two minor league options (he was optioned to the minors in 2007 and 2008), but because he has spent only two “full seasons” on an active minor league or MLB roster through the 2008 season, he will be eligible for a 4th minor league option as long as it is used prior to completing five full seasons, and Kosuke Fukudome has four minor league options remaining because he has completed only one “full season” (although his “no trade” rights also likely include the right to refuse an assignment to the minors).

RESTRICTIONS ON OPTIONING PLAYERS TO MINORS

Players who have accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time can refuse an optional assignment to the minors, even if the player has options left.

NOTE 2 - As of 5-23-09, Aaron Heilman will have accrued five years of MLB Service Time, and so even though he has two minor league options left, he cannot be optioned to the minors without his permission beginning on that date.

Also, any player who is optioned to the minors generally must remain on optional assignment for at least ten days. The only exceptions are if the player is recalled to replace an injured player, or if the player's minor league season is over, or if the player is traded and is immediately recalled to the major leagues by his new club. If a player on Optional Assignment to the minors is claimed off waivers and the player's new club chooses to keep the player in the minors, the ten-day "Optional Assignment Clock" starts anew, even if the player had spent at least ten days on Optional Assignment to the minors prior to the transaction. All players on Optional Assignment to the minors must be recalled no later than the day after the end of the MLB regular season, and a Rule 5 Draft-Excluded Player (a player added to an MLB 40-man roster after August 15th) cannot be optioned to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day.

OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT WAIVERS

A player with at least five years of MLB service time can refuse an Optional Assignment to the minors, but some players with less than five years of MLB service time must first clear Optional Assignment Waivers (AKA "Recall Waivers") before they can be optioned to the minors. A player reaches this point when he hits the third anniversary of being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster), or the two-year anniversary if the player spent one full season on Optional Assignment to the minors prior to being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) for the first time, or the one-year anniversary if the player spent two full seasons on Optional Assignment to the minors prior to being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) for the first time.

NOTE 3 - Neal Cotts, Mike Fontenot, Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, and Ryan Theriot must clear Optional Assignment Waivers before they can be optioned to the minors. Also, Jose Ascanio would have to clear Optional Assugnment Waivers before he can be optioned to the minors beginning on July 13th.

Optional Assignment Waivers are revocable and can be withdrawn if a claim is made, but if a player is claimed off Optional Waivers and the waiver request is subsequently withdrawn, the player cannot be placed on Optional Assignment Waivers again for at least 30 days, and if a player is placed on Optional Waivers a second time that season and the player is claimed by another club, the waivers become irrevocable and the request cannot be withdrawn.

OUTRIGHT ASSIGNMENT WAIVERS

If a club wants to remove a player from its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and send the player "outright" to the minors (like for instance if the player is "out of options"), the club must first secure Outright Assignment Waivers on the player. For all players on an MLB Reserve List (40-man Roster) other than players selected in the Major League Phase of the previous Rule 5 Draft ("Rule 5" players), Draft-Excluded players, injured players, and unsigned players eligible to be Rule 55 minor league free-agents, Outright Waivers can generally be requested anytime in a given waiver period, and they are always irrevocable. The waiver price is $25,000 for Rule 5 players, and $20,000 for all other players.

Once secured, Outright Waivers are good for seven days from September 1st through the 30th day of the regular season, and they are good for the entire waiver period if the waivers are secured anytime starting on the 31st day of the regular season through August 31st. A club claiming a player off Outright Waivers is responsible for paying only the MLB minimum salary (or prorated MLB minimum salary if the player is claimed during the regular season), with the player's original club responsible for the balance.

RIGHT TO REFUSE AN OUTRIGHT ASSIGNMENT

Per Article XX of the MLB-MLBPA CBA, any player on an MLB 40-man roster who has accrued at least three years of MLB service time or any player on an MLB 40-man roster who has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career can refuse an Outright Assignment to the minors and become a free-agent instead. (A player with at least five years of MLB service time has the further right to decline an Outright Assignment and remain on his club's 40-man roster).

NOTE 4 - Andres Blanco, Mike Fontenot, Koyie Hill, and Randy Wells have accrued less than three years of MLB service time, but all four have been outrighted previously in their career, so therefore each of them have the right to decline an Outright Assignment to the minors and become a free-agent should the Cubs attempt to outright the player to the minors.

A player who has the right be a free-agent if outrighted to the minors can elect to be a free-agent immediately upon being outrighted (he has three days to decide during the regular season, and a week to make up his mind during the off-season and Spring Training), or the player can defer the option until the end of the MLB regular season. If the player opts to be a free-agent immediately, his contract is terminated, he forfeits the balance of his salary, and his former club owes him nothing. If a player elects to accept the outright assignment and defer the right to be a free-agent until the conclusion of the season (and most players do this), the contract remains in force and the player is paid the balance of his salary. And if the outrighted player is not subsequently added back to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the end of the MLB regular season, the player can file for free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up through October 15th. Once he is granted free-agency, the player can sign a major league or minor league contract with any club (including the player's previous club).

RESTRICTIONS ON OUTRIGHTING PLAYERS DURING OFF-SEASON

Players cannot be outrighted to the minors on the two days prior to the Rule 5 Draft, any unsigned player on an MLB 40-man roster who would be eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league free-agent (so-called "Six-Year Minor League Free-Agent") cannot be outrighted to the minors any later than the fourth day following the conclusion of the World Series, a player selected in the previous Rule 5 Draft cannot be outrighted to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to the start of the MLB regular season, and a "Draft-Excluded Player" (any minor league player who is added to an MLB 40-man roster after August 15th) can be outrighted to the minors only if Outright Waivers are requested no later than four days after the conclusion of the World Series, and if a "Draft-Excluded Player" is not outrighted to the minors prior to the Rule 5 Draft, the player cannot be sent to the minors (by optional or outright assignment) any earlier than 20 days prior to the start of the MLB regular season (same as a Rule 5 player). Draft-Excluded Players on the Cubs MLB 40-man roster going into Spring Training 2009 are Mitch Atkins, Justin Berg, Marcos Mateo, and Jeff Stevens. (3B-1B-C Casey McGehee was a Draft-Excluded Player when he was claimed off Outright Waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers in October).

RULE 5 DRAFT

The MLB Rule 5 Draft is the last order of business each year at the MLB Winter Meetings in December, and it is a mechanism that allows MLB clubs to select (draft) players off the minor league reserve lists of the other 29 MLB clubs. There is a "Major League Phase" where MLB clubs can draft players off AAA Reserve Lists for $50,000, a "AAA Phase" where AAA clubs can select players off AA rosters for $12,000, and finally a "AA Phase" where AA clubs can draft players off the Reserve Lists of Class "A" clubs for $4,000.

A minor league player who was 18 or younger on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract is eligible for selection starting with the 5th Rule 5 Draft after he signs, and a minor league player who was 19 years or older on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract becomes eligible for selection starting with the 4th Rule 5 Draft that followed his signing. (If a player signs his first contract after August 31st or after the minor league club to which the player is initially assigned has completed its regular season schedule, the next season is considered to be the player's "first season" for Rule 5 purposes). Also, a player on a minor league reserve list who has been released previously in his career is eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft, but not until he reaches the 1st anniversary of signing his first major league or minor league contract.

A club must have as many spots open on its MLB 40-man roster prior to the draft as the number of players it selects. A player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft must be given a 15-day "full trial" in Spring Training, and cannot be released, non-tendered, or sent to the minor leagues until 20 days prior to the start of the MLB regular season. A Rule 5 player must remain on an MLB 25-man Active List (or 15-day or 60-day DL) for the entire MLB regular season following selection and must accrue at least 90 days on an MLB Active List (25-man roster) before the Rule 5 restrictions are removed. (If the service time accrued on the MLB Active List is less than 90 days in the season following selection, the player remains a Rule 5 player into the next season). If a club decides that it cannot keep a Rule 5 player on its MLB 25-man Active List or DL for an entire MLB regular season, the player must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, where any of the other 29 MLB clubs can claim the player for the $25,000 Rule 5 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 obligations. If the Rule 5 player is not claimed off Outright Waivers, the player then must be offered back to the club from which he was drafted, and the player's former club can reclaim the player for $25,000, with the player being automatically outrighted to the AAA club from which he was drafted. If the player's original club declines to reclaim the player, the drafting club retains the player and the player can be sent to the minors.

NOTE 5 - RHP David Patton is a 2009 Rule 5 Player (he was selected in the Major League Phase of the December 2008 Rule 5 Draft), so if the Cubs decide they cannot keep him on their Active List (25-man roster) and/or on their 15-day or 60-day DL for the entire 2009 season, he must be placed on Outright Waivers, and if he isn't claimed, he then must be offered back to the Colorado Rockies. (Patton was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds from the Rockies and then was traded by the Reds to the Cubs). If the Rockies reclaim Patton (and most clubs do take their Rule 5 guys back if they are given the chance), he will be automatically outrighted to the Rockies AAA Colorado Springs affiliate (the AAA club from which he was drafted) and the Cubs get $25,000 (half the Rule 5 Draft price) from the Rockies. But if the Rockies choose not to take him back, Patton remains property of the Cubs and he can be sent to the minors.

OUTRIGHT RELEASE

Outright Release Waivers are the 3rd type of MLB waivers. Like Outright Assignment Waivers, Release Waivers are irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn. While a player claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers costs $20,000 (or $25,000 for a Rule 5 player), a club can claim a player off Release Waivers for the miniscule sum of $1. However, a club that claims a player off Release Waivers is responsible for 100% of the player's remaining salary, whereas if the same club waits until the player clears Release Waivers, the new club can sign the player for the MLB minumum salary (or prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary), with the player's former club responsible for the balance of the released player's contract, so there really isn't much motivation for a club to make a claim. Also, a player who is claimed off Release Waivers has the option to decline the assignment and become a free-agent (he has up to five days to decide).

Any player who is released outright during the period of time extending from Opening Day through August 31st cannot be added back to the MLB 40-man roster of the club that released him for at least 30 days, and a player on a 40-man roster who is released outright anytime between September 1st and Opening Day of the following season cannot be re-signed to a Major League contract (and cannot be added to an MLB Reserve List or Active List or MLB DL) by the club that released him until May 15th. However, while a player who is "non-tendered" on 12/12 becomes a free-agent, it is not considered the same thing as an outright release, so a club can re-sign a non-tendered player to a Major League contract (or minor league contract) without any restrictions anytime after the player is non-tendered. Thus, December 12th is a sort of roster "island oasis" in the middle of the off-season where clubs can drop a player from the 40-man roster without having to worry about the restrictions on off-season outright assignments or outright release.

Any player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) signed to a non-guaranteed contract who is released more than 15 days prior to Opening Day receives 30 days salary (17% of his salary) as termination pay, and any player signed to a non-guaranteed contract who is released 15 or fewer days prior to Opening Day receives 45 days salary (25% of his salary) as termination pay. Any player who is released during the regular season receives 100% of his salary as termination pay. A player signed to a minor league contract receives two weeks salary as termination pay no matter when he is released. Players released during the off-season who have not signed contracts for the following season receive no termination pay.

TRADE ASSIGNMENT WAIVERS

Trade Assignment Waivers are the 4th type of MLB waivers. Trade Waivers are generally required to trade players who are on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), beginning on August 1st up through the end of the MLB regular season (the one exception being if a player on Optional Assignment to the minors is traded and remains on Optional Assignment to the minors with his new club until the end of the regular season, waivers are not required). A club can place no more than seven players on Trade Assignment Waivers per day, and a club can make a maximum of 50 Trade Assignment waiver claims per week. If a player is placed on Trade Waivers and is not claimed, the player can be traded to any MLB club at any time, just like prior to August 1st. And Trade Assignment Waivers are revocable, so if a player is claimed, the player's club has the option to either withdraw the waiver request and retain the player, or allow the waiver claim to stand. The player's club has 72 hours to make this decision, and during this "window," the club has the right to trade the player to the claiming club (but ONLY to the claiming club). If a trade cannot be worked-out and the club chooses not to withdraw the waiver request, the player is automatically assigned to the claiming club for the $20,000 waiver price and the claiming club assumes 100% of the player's contract. (A player with "no trade" rights can refuse both a waiver claim and a trade assignment, however). If no trade is made and the waiver request is withdrawn, the player cannot be placed on Trade Assignment Waivers again for at least 30 days from the date the waivers are withdrawn, and if the player is placed on Trade Waivers again before the end of the regular season, the waivers become irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn.

Besides having to secure Trade Assignment Waivers before a Major League player on a 40-man roster can be traded during the period of time extending from August 1st through the end of the regular season, other restrictions on trades are:

1. A player cannot be traded, placed on waivers, or selected in the Rule 5 Draft until the 1st anniversary of signing his first major league or minor league contract.

2. A minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be traded during the period of time beginning with the filing of MLB and minor league reserve lists on November 20th and the completion of the Rule 5 Draft.

3. An MLB Article XX free-agent who signs a Major League contract after the conclusion of the 15-day Free-Agent Filing Period has "no trade" rights through June 15th, but even if the player waives his "no trade" rights, he can be traded only for cash or player contracts with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000.

4. If a "Player to Be Named Later" (PTBNL) is part of a trade, the PTBNL cannot be on an MLB 25-man roster (MLB Active List) at any time during the period of time starting when the trade is executed up until the PTBNL is announced.

PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING WAIVER CLAIMS

The procedure for awarding waiver claims is different depending on the type of waivers and the time of the year. For Outright Waivers and Release Waivers, if a player is claimed by only one club, that club is awarded the claim. If more than one club makes a claim, the club with the lowest winning percentage (regardless of league) on the day the waivers expire is awarded the claim. If two clubs with the same winning percentage make a claim, the club in the player's own league is awarded the claim. If two clubs from the same league make a claim and they are tied in the standings, the club with the lowest winning percentage from the previous season is awarded the claim. However, in the case of Trade Waivers and Optional Waivers, if a player is claimed by more than one club, the club in the player's own league with the lowest winning percentage is awarded the claim, even if that club has a higher winning percentage than the club or clubs making a claim from the other league. So a player placed on Trade Assignment or Optional Waivers must first be "waived out of his own league" before he can be assigned to a club in the other league.

For the purpose of determining the awarding of waivers claims, the previous season's standings are used during the off-season and up through the first 30 days of the following season. Then beginning on the 31st day of the season, the standings as of the date the waivers expire are used to determine the awarding of waiver claims, with the previous season's standings used to break any ties.

Clubs are not permitted to make a waiver claim and then trade the player to another club, if the only purpose of the claim was to prevent a third club from claiming the player.

The four MLB waiver periods are:
1. February 16th through the 30th day of the regular season;
2. 31st day of the regular season through July 31st;
3. August 1st through November 10th;
4. November 11th through February 15th.

DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT

Sometimes a club wants to remove a player from its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), but it has to be done immediately because the player's roster slot is needed, and it takes two business days to get a player through waivers. Or sometimes a club wants to remove a player from its MLB Active List (25-man roster), but the player has no minor league options remaining (or would have to clear Optional Assignment Waivers before he can be optioned to the minors), so the only way to remove the player from the 25-man roster would be by Outright Release, Outright Assignment, or a trade (or in the case of a player who needs to clear Optional Assignment Waivers before he can be optioned to the minors, only after Optional Assignment Waivers have been secured). In those cases, a club has the option to place the player on the Designated List.

When a player is placed on the Designated List (and is "Designated for Assignment"), the "Designated Player" is removed from the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), and then the club has up to ten days to either trade, release, or outright the player to the minors. A club can also return a Designated Player to the 40-man roster and option the player to the minors, but only if the player is not replaced on the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) by another player while on the Designated List. (A club might have to do this to buy time while it tries to get a player on the 25-man roster through Optional Assignment Waivers). A player on the Designated List accrues MLB service time, and a player on Optional Assignment to the minors must be recalled prior to being placed on the Designated List.

DISABLED LISTS

A player placed on the Disabled List (MLB 15-day DL or minor league 7-day DL) does not count against his club's Active List (25-man roster), but he does count against his club's Reserve List (40-man roster). As long as the player did not appear in a game during the retroactive period, an MLB 15-day DL assignment can be backdated up to ten days during the season, and to a date no more than nine days prior to the start of the season if the player is placed on the 15-day DL during Spring Training.

A player placed on the Emergency Disabled List (60-day DL) does not count against his club's Active List (25-man roster) or Reserve List (40-man roster). A player can be placed on the 60-day DL anytime during Spring Training or the regular season or post-season, or a player can be transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. A player cannot be moved back to the 15-day DL once he is placed on the 60-day DL, and a player cannot be placed on the 60-day DL or transferred to the 60-day DL from the 15-day DL unless his club's Reserve List (40-man roster) is full. For a player who is transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL, time spent on the 15-day DL prior to being transferred counts toward the minimum 60 days a player must spend on the 60-day DL. All players on the 60-day DL must be reinstated to the 40-man roster no later than November 20th.

An injured player cannot be optioned or outrighted to the minors during the MLB regular season, but an injured player who has not signed a contract for the following season and who is not eligible for salary arbitration, and who cannot refuse an outright assignment to the minors by virtue of having been outrighted previously in his career, may be outrighted to the minors during the period starting the day after the end of the regular season up through November 20th. And certain injured players can be optioned or outrighted to the minors during Spring Training, too, as long as the assignment is made at least 16 days prior to Opening Day, and provided that the player was not selected in the previous Rule 5 Draft and/or did not accrue any MLB Service Time in the previous season.

With the player's permission, a player on a club's MLB 15-day or 60-day DL may be assigned to a minor league club for "rehab" purposes for up to 20 days (maximum 30 days for pitchers). A player on a "rehab" assignment to a minor league club continues to accrue MLB service time, and the player does not count against the minor league club's active roster. A player does not have to be reactivated once the rehab assignment has ended.

BEREAVEMENT LIST

An MLB player can be placed on the Bereavement List when the player leaves the team as the result of an illness or death in his immediate family. (NOTE: A player who leaves his club to attend a childbirth is NOT eligible to be placed on this list). A player must remain on the Bereavement List for at least three days, but no more than seven days. The Bereavement List functions just like the 15-day DL, in that a player on the Bereavement List does not count against his club's Active List (25-man roster), so he can be replaced on the 25-man roster while on the Bereavement List, but he does count against his club's Reserve List (40-man roster), and he does continue to acrue MLB service time.

VOLUNTARY RETIRED LIST

A player who submits written notice of retirement while under contract to or under the control of an MLB club can be placed on the Voluntary Retired List. Players on the Voluntary Retired List do not get paid while they are on the list, do not accrue service time, and do not count against the club's Active List (25-man roster) or Reserve List (40-man roster). A player on the Voluntary Retired List cannot be reinstated until 60 days after the close of the season during which he retires.

RESTRICTED LIST

The Restricted List is essentially an unpaid "Leave of Absence." Players on the Restricted List do not count against a club's Active Roster (25-man roster) or Reserve List (40-man roster), and players who are on the Restricted List for any reason other than a suspension for violation of the MLB ban on the use of prohibited substances do not accrue Service Time while on the Restricted List. (A player who is suspended for violation of the ban on the use of prohibited substances is automatically placed on the Restricted List by MLB, and the suspended player does accrue MLB or minor league service time if placed on the Restricted List for this reason). A player on the Restricted List can be reinstated at any time, but must be reinstated after two years, and a player who is on the Restricted List on August 31st is not eligible to play in the post-season (LDS, LCS, and World Series). Besides a suspension related to the MLB Prohibited Substance ban, other reasons why a player might be placed on the Restricted List would be an absence due to family illness or a death in the family where the absence exceeds the seven-day Beareavement List limit, or if a player fails to report to Spring Training or to a minor league assignment. A player can be placed on the Restricted List only with the approval of the MLB Commissioner.

MILITARY LIST

A player can be placed on the Military List after being called to active duty (this includes foreign players called to active duty with their home country's military). A player on the Military List does not count against his club's Active List (25-man roster) or Reserve List (40-man roster), but the player does accrue service time. A player on the Military List must be reinstated as soon as the club is advised that the player has been released from active duty.

SUSPENDED, DISQUALIFIED, and INELIGIBLE LISTS

A player on the Suspended List counts against both his club's Active Roster (25-man roster) and Reserve List (40-man roster), so a stint on this list is usually temporary. (A player on a 40-man roster who is placed on the Suspended List while on Optional Assignment to the minors does not count against his club's MLB 25-man roster, however). When an MLB player is placed on the Suspended List, a grievance is usually filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) on behalf of the suspended player because the player does not get paid while on the list. The main instance where it is used is when a player is suspended by the league as the result of an on-field incident, but it can also be initiated by the player's own club in the case of unacceptable behavior (such as a player getting into an altercation with his manager, a teammate, or a fan), or a violation of team rules related to chronic tardiness, reporting to work intoxicated, failing to report for a physical, et al. The Suspended List is used more liberally in the minor leagues, mainly because minor league players don't have the protection of a union (MLBPA). Players on the Suspended List continue to accrue service time.

A player can be placed on the Disqualified List if the player violates the terms of his contract (breach of contract). A player on the Disqualified List does not count against the club's Active List (25-man roster) or Reserve List (40-man roster) and does not accrue MLB service time or get paid while on the list, and a player can only be placed on the Disqualified List with the approval of the MLB Commissioner.

The MLB Ineligible List is the "capital punishment" of baseball, reserved for individuals who have been permanently banned from baseball, usually related to gambling, but the permanent ban also could involve something like embezzlement of funds or multiple drug-related offenses or a hate crime or some heinous activity. Individuals are placed on the Ineligible List by the MLB Commissioner. Players on the MLB Ineligible List do not count against any club's Reserve List.

POST SEASON ROSTER ELIGIBILITY:

All players on a club's MLB Active List (25-man roster) or MLB 15-day or 60-day DL as of midnight August 31st are eligible to be included on the club's post-season (LDS, LCS, or World Series) 25-man roster. A post-season eligible player who is on the 15-day or 60-day DL at the start of the post-season can be replaced on his club's LDS, LCS, or WS Active List (25-man roster) by any player (regardless of position) who was in the club's organization as of midnight August 31st, including minor leaguers who were not on the club's MLB 40-man roster at that time. However, if a "replacement player" is on a minor league reserve list, the player must be added to his club's MLB 40-man roster before he can be made eligible for the post-season.

Also, a player who is injured during a post-season series can (with approval of the MLB Commissioner) be replaced on his club's Active List (25-man roster) prior to the conclusion of that series by any player on the 40-man roster who plays the same position as the injured player (a pitcher must replace a pitcher, a catcher must replace a catcher, etc), and if an injured player is replaced during a post-season series, the injured player is then ineligible to return to the Active List (25-man roster) for the balance of the post-season.

ELIGIBLE TO BE ARTICLE XX MLB FREE-AGENT POST-2009:
Casey Fossum, LHP (minor league contract)
Chad Fox, RHP
Kevin Gregg, RHP
Rich Harden, RHP
Reed Johnson, OF
Luis Rivas, INF (minor league contract)
NOTE: Any player eligible to be an ARTICLE XX MLB FREE-AGENT can file for free-agency during the 15-day Free-Agency Filing Period that begins the day after the conclusion of the World Series. Clubs retain exclusive negotiating rights with their own ARTICLE XX MLB FREE-AGENTS until the conclusion of the Free-Agency Filing Period.

ELIGIBLE TO BE ARTICLE XX MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT POST-2009:
NONE
NOTE: Any player eligible to be an ARTICLE XX MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT can file for free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up through October 15th. If a player eligible to be an ARTICLE XX MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT is added back to an MLB 40-man roster before the end of the MLB regular season, the player is not eligible to be a free-agent.

ELIGIBLE FOR SALARY ARBITRATION POST-2009:
Jeff Baker, IF-OF
Neal Cotts, LHP
Mike Fontenot, 2B (will likely be a "Super Two")
Angel Guzman, RHP
Aaron Heilman, RHP
Koyie Hill, C
Carlos Marmol, RHP
Sean Marshall, LHP
Ryan Theriot, SS
NOTE: Fontenot, Guzman, Hill, Marmol, Marshall, and Theriot would have to spend all or part of the 2009 season on an MLB 25-man roster in order to accrue enough MLB Service Time to qualify for SALARY ARBITRATION.

ELIGIBLE TO BE RULE 55 MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT POST-2009:
Robinson Chirinos, IF-C
Matt Craig, 1B-3B
Doug Deeds, OF
Jason Dubois, OF-1B
John-Ford Griffin, OF
Mark Johnson, C
Anderson Machado, IF-OF
Vince Perkins, RHP
Jose Pina, RHP
Joe Simokaitis, RHP (if he is signed only through 2009 season)
Brad Snyder, OF
Nate Spears, 2B
So Taguchi, OF
NOTE: If a player eligible to be a RULE 55 MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT is added to his club’s 40-man roster no later than the fourth day following the conclusion of the World Series, the player is not eligible to be a free-agent.

ELIGIBLE FOR DECEMBER 2009 RULE 5 DRAFT
Francisco Acosta, RHP
James Adduci, OF
Todd Blackford, RHP
Ryan Buchter, LHP
Alberto Cabrera, RHP
Matt Camp, IF-OF
Russ Canzler, 1B
Marco Carrillo, RHP
Julio Castillo, RHP
Welington Castillo, C
Steve Clevenger, C-1B
Tyler Colvin, OF
Rafael Dolis, RHP
Arturo Florentino, RHP
John Gaub, LHP
Robert Hernandez, RHP
Dylan Johnston, OF
Blake Lalli, C-1B
Josh Lansford, RHP (ex-3B)
Alessandro Maestri, RHP
J. R. Mathes, LHP
Matt Matulia, INF
Mario Mercedes, C
Jonathan Mota, INF
Billy Muldowney, RHP
Jake Muyco, RHP
Dionis Nunez, RHP
Jeremy Papelbon, LHP
Blake Parker, RHP
Andres Quezada, RHP
Mark Reed, C
Gregory Reinhard, RHP
Chris Robinson, C
Jayson Ruhlman, LHP
Tomas Sanchez, RHP
Miguel Sierra, RHP
Joe Simokaitis, RHP (if he is signed beyond 2009 season)
Alvaro Sosa, C
NOTE: If a player on this list is added to an MLB 40-man roster by 11/20/09, the player is not eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft.