September 2012

The Restricted List is essentially an excused but unpaid absence, although a club can pay the player while he is on the Restricted List if the club so chooses.

The Temporarily Inactive List is essentially an in-season excused Leave of Absence. Only minor league players (including players on Optional Assignment to the minors) can be placed on this list. Because there is no Paternity Leave or Bereavement List in the minors, minor league players who leave their team as a result of an illness or death in the player's family or while attending the birth of a child are usually placed on the club's Temporarily Inactive List.

An MLB player can be placed on the Bereavement List when the player leaves his club as the result of an illness or death in his immediate family. (There is no Bereavement Leave for minor league players).

A player cannot be placed on the Bereavement List to attend the birth of a child.

A player must remain on the Bereavement List for at least three days, but no more than seven days.

A player placed on the Disabled List (MLB 15-day DL or minor league 7-day DL) or Special Disabled List (MLB 7-day DL for players who have suffered a concussion) does not count against his club's Active List, but he does count against his club's Reserve List. 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 regular season if the player is placed on the 15-day DL during Spring Training.

Before a player on Optional Assignment to the minors can be traded or Designated for Assignment, he must be recalled from his minor league assignment ("Recalled - Not to Report").

If a player who was "Recalled - Not to Report" is claimed off waivers while on the Designated List and either the waivers are irrevocable (Outright Assignment Waivers) or the player's club elects not to withdraw a revocable waiver request, the player is assigned to the claiming club.

Outright Release Waivers are irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn once they are requested.

1. A player cannot be outrighted to the minors on the two days prior to the Rule 5 Draft.

2. A "Rule 5 Player" cannot be outrighted to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to the start of the MLB regular season.

If a club wishes to remove a player from its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and send the player to the minors, the club must first secure Outright Assignment Waivers. For all players on an MLB Reserve List (40-man Roster) other than Rule 5 players, Draft-Excluded players, and injured players, 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 and Draft-Excluded players, and $20,000 for all other players.

The deadline for "non-waiver" (unrestricted) trades is 4 PM (EDT) on July 31st. Beginning on August 1st and extending through to the conclusion of the MLB regular season, Trade Assignment Waivers must be secured before players on MLB 40-man rosters can be traded. (Waivers are never required to trade players on minor league reserve lists).

If a player is placed on Trade Waivers and is not claimed, waivers are said to be "secured" and the player can be traded to any MLB club at any time, just like prior to the non-waiver trade deadline.

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.