Ok.  I have an OF in AAA that I would like to play in the MLB playoffs.  I only have about 12 games left in the regular season.  He currently is on the 40 man roster and eligible for playoff roster.  He has ZERO mlb experience, and I want to keep it that way so I can bring him up after 20 minor days next year to avoid an arb year.

So, Question 1: If I bring him up after game 162, will that be allowed, or do rosters lock and I need to do it sooner?

Question 2: After bringing him up, playoff days do not count towards service time, correct?

Question 3: How do I send him back down to AAA after playoffs without a demotion penalty?

Thank you in advance for any help

1-I'm pretty sure he needs to be up before rosters expand to 40. In MLB, if someone goes on the DL you could replace the injured player with your AAA guy since he was already on the 40. Not sure whether that's the case in HBD.
2-Correct
3-Not sure you can.

Thanks Josh!

Anyone else have any help out there?

1. I have added guys from AAA to ML/playoff rosters in between rounds, i.e., after game 162.
2. Correct
3. I don't think there is a demotion penalty for demotions after the regular season ends.

1) Yes, you can bring him up for the playoffs. I have done this a couple of times.

2) Correct.

3) Not sure.

Posted by joshkvt on 7/9/2010 1:24:00 AM (view original):
1-I'm pretty sure he needs to be up before rosters expand to 40. In MLB, if someone goes on the DL you could replace the injured player with your AAA guy since he was already on the 40. Not sure whether that's the case in HBD.
2-Correct
3-Not sure you can.

Re 1): HBD doesn't have the K-Rod exception, where you can add guys who were not on the 40 when rosters expand in the case of someone going on the DL.  I had to go into the playoffs with 1 catcher when this happened to me and I didn't have any minor league C's on the 40.  Not whining, it was poor planning on my part.  Actually I'm not sure MLB still has that exception.

You definitely do not need to have any MLB experience to be added to the playoff roster.  You have to be on the 40-man at the time of roster expansion, but you can keep him in the minors, assign him to the playoff roster while he is in AAA and then promote him after the season ends.  He will not accrue any service time.  You can then demote him before spring training the following year, which allows you to play the service time game for that first season. 

whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx

That guy is a good example.  Played in the playoffs last season and then was demoted before ST this year.  His owner brought him up 23 days into this season, ensuring that he would not accrue a year of service in his first season.