Is there an easy place to find how long until a player is arbitration eligible, when they become a FA, at what point they are rule 5 eligible, at what point a player has used up all their minor league options etc?

Go to GM office and View/Status Info. You can get all the information you need from that screen.

I don't know if there is a page that gives a timeline, but if you can ask specific questions there are plenty of people on here who can answer all of them for you.

For instance, to answer the questions that you have already asked( hold your mouse over ML years on the player card to find out how much service time he has accrued): Players become arb eligible after 3 years of ML time, they become a FA after 5 years, R5 eligible after of 4 pro years and not on the 40-man, and a player uses an option everytime he is demoted(he can only use one option per season, also he uses an option year if he is in the minors and on the 40-man.

Well, I guess Mitch covered it while I was typing lol.

thanks guys - both were helpful - was really looking for the info strikeout gave but that view status info screen helps as well.

so strikeout - if I have this right - for the first three seasons of a guys major league service he is owed the ML min, then seasons 4 and seasons 5 he is arb eligible and season 6 he is a FA?

4 through 6 is arb. eligible.

gotcha - thanks