We are 8 days/7 games into the season: My 1B was just injured, out 12 games. I have decent bat in AAA that I was waiting to call up until game 22 or so, thus saving the arb year. Can I call him up now, for the 15 days that my 1B is on the DL, then send him down to AAA for 15 games following that, then call him up for good and STILL save the arb year. I think I can, correct?

Isn't it the number of days on a MLB roster not really the point at which a player is called up. My AAA guy would still be down on the farm for 22 games, or so (to be safe), but they just wouldn't be the first 22 games of the season.

Can I do it?

moe

Yes, it's total number of days in ML. Doesn't matter how you spread them out.

Incorrect.  It DOES matter how you spread them out.

Any minor league assignment of less than 20 days is counted as ML service time.  So 7 minor league days now, and 15 minor league days later is NOT the same as 22 consecutive minor league days.

From the HBD update on 3/6/2008:

Minor League Options and ML Years
The final change deals with how a player's minor league options and big league service time is handled. We reviewed the recent collective bargaining agreement and are making our rules consistent. Most users will also not notice this change at all.

A player needs 172 days of service to register a year of ML service time. If he appears in less than that, this count is rolled over to the next season. The change that is being put in place is that if a player is on optional assignment (assigned to a minor league team) for less than 20 days during a season, that amount is part of the ML service time.

Is that 20 consecutive days, tec? Couldn't you read into that that my guy would be on AAA assignment for more than 20 days during the season......they just wouldn't be consecutive days.

OK...help me out: The paragraph following the one that tec has copied above reads: For instance, a player on the 40-man roster begins the season in the minors. He spends 15 days at the AAA level but is then promoted. He remains on the big league team for the rest of the season and racks up 160 days of ML service. When the world rolls over, he has 160 + 15 days which gives him enough for a year of service time.

That seems to just set the arb rules that we've all played under. What say you all?

Here's the help you need:

Holding players back is dumb.   See the other thread for why.

Copy/paste:

Mike, I understand that. But I already had a good switch-hitting 1B who had 31 homers and hit .832 vL and .883 vR for me last year, a good switch-hitting RF who hit .812 with 27 homers last year, and a rookie LF who I didn't keep down for 20 games. He's also switch-hitter, with 95 power. Minus injury in the first 20 games to one of those three guys, I didn't need the other rookie OF up, for a bit. He was to come up after 20 games and form (with the other guys) a real nice 4 to make 3 situation. 3 switch-hitters and the new guy, a RH bat who will hit lefties especially well.

Although I question it myself, once in a while I know what I'm doing! :)

But the injury happened......and now I'm just trying to figure out the arb rule. I'm 8 days into keeping the guy down, if I can avoid losing the arb year for 12 games, I would rather do it.

Mike - I think you are painting with a broad brush.

What if my team is already very competitive, and I expect to make the playoffs regardless of whether the player is on the ML or AAA roster? In this instance, it makes a ton of sense to hold the player back until the arbitration clock does not kick in.

A lot of this depends on how you structure your organization in terms of budget as well. I tend to have a very low budget for salaries, spending much more of my budget on prospects. In this case, holding a player back to extend his controllable time with my franchise is very important.

That being said, I get what you are saying for short term benefits vs. long term rewards.

If you're going to make the playoffs with or without said player, hold him back til next year.  Or the year after.    If you're that concerned with his control years(3-4 min salary, 2 arb, up to 5 LT), keep him down until you need him.   Use him in the playoffs, if you'd like, and then send him back down for 3 seasons.  

Seriously, if you're worried whether you can control him for 10 or 11 seasons, stretch it out to 14 if he's not relevant to your entrance into the playoffs.

This doesn't apply to you or moe but I've found that most of the owners worrying over that extra season haven't been in a world for 11 seasons. 

Posted by moethedog on 3/17/2015 9:36:00 PM (view original):
Is that 20 consecutive days, tec? Couldn't you read into that that my guy would be on AAA assignment for more than 20 days during the season......they just wouldn't be consecutive days.

I've always assumed that it was 20 consecutive days, but I can't find anything that backs that up.

OK, I solved it:  I 15 -Day DL'ed my 1B and called up ANOTHER rookie (not the guy I was thinking about), this guy is really a DH, but also one of Mike's RF specials.  He's a 75-60-61-68-95 guy with the bat.  Will leadoff for two weeks and then go back down.  Should get on base at a .360+ clip and run an OBP just shy of .400.  That will do.

The other rookie gets his full 20 games down and then he call-up.

FWIW, I hold a different opinion on pitchers.

1.  They hold their value longer so that extra year is more important.
2.  Lots of off days early so you can usually use 4 SP until game 20.
3.  If a rookie is my best pitcher right out of the gate, I've got a problem.  But, if he is, I'm not waiting 20 games.