If I sign a MiL to a ML contract will their option clock begin from when signed? Wendell Ducey would only sign given a ML contract, but that was 2 years ago and his options still say 3. I know in MLB if a draftee signs a ML contract his options start year 1.. .does HBD not work this way?

he has never been removed from the 40, has he?

No he hasnt

I signed an IFA to a ML contract this season, so Im curious to find out how this works

remove the IFA from your 40 man roster, as long as he is on your 40 man roster he will start using up his option years. ( unless he is on your ML roster , then you has to be on your 40 man) He will use one this season, but if you remove him from your 40 man before next season, he will have 2 until you add him back to the 40 mn.

Pirates, that is how it should work, but can you explain why Wendell Ducey has 3 option years despite having 2 pro years on the 40 year man roster?

send in a ticket and let us know what it says. I am really curious why he hasn't used a year yet.

I've opened a ticket, Ill update the forum when I get a response.

*Hoping they dont take Duceys options away ;)

Won't matter anyway. Once he gets to the bigs, he's not going back to the farm.

You're confusing Pro years with ML years. pro years include all years in the minors or majors. A MiLer on the 40 does not burn an option unless he is called up and sent down in the same season. You can add a MiLer to your 40 rightbeofre the Rule 5 draft when he has 4 Pro seasons and can hold on to him in AAA for 18 more seasons if you want as long as he's on your 40. And he won't lose his options.

pb - I thought once you had a ML contract you had 3 optional assignments to the minors. Its not about being on the 40 as much as having a major league contract. By default with a ML contract you have to be on the 40.

Agree jsturgis, but dont want to bring him up until next year after the 20 game mark, so i dont want this to be his last option year and have to bring him up to start the season next year.

fairly sure that he can start AAA with zero options.

oriolemagic, thats true, except technically its not 3 optional assignments, its 3 seasons in which the player is sent down one or more times. So you can yo-yo a guy up and down all season and it'll cost just one option year (and a bunch of possible demotion hits).

And you can send a ML player with no options down to the MiLs if he clears waivers (including revokeable waivers.)

Yeah, but in Duceys case he wouldnt ever clear waivers ;)