Hello-

I currently have 39 guys on my 40 man roster. I am in a trade negotiations to acquire one more.  Tomorrow is the Rule 5 draft, and I have the 6th pick.  The roster freeze is tonight, and I would like to make sure I have room to acquire 1 if not 2 RPs in the draft, but I don't want to unnecessarily expose too many of my players.  

I picked the worst player of my 39 guys and Designated him for assignment.  It now says I have 38 players on my 40 man. I haven't put him on waivers yet. If I understand it, I have several days after I designate him to do something with him, correct?  Could I use this as a way to see what's available in the Rule 5 draft before putting him on waivers?  Or will he be exposed to the Rule 5 draft as a Designated player?  

If I don't see anyone in the Rule 5 draft that I want after the rosters freeze, I'd like to keep him. Has anyone done this before?

He's either on your 40 at the time of the roster freeze or he isn't.  You can't make a decision after roster freeze.  

If he has the little red diamond next to him in the Needing Assignment section of the edit roster page, he's exposed.

Okay, yeah, he's exposed to the draft, which is fine.  I was figuring this way I wouldn't have to put him through waivers.  This way he stays on my team unless a team wants him on his ML roster all season.  So it's a small difference... but not totally trivial.  

True, except that when he is designated without waivers, you have to trade him or release him, or put him on waivers within a certain time frame. 

Really?  Because after I DFA'd him, I assigned him to AAA, where he was before.  He's now no longer on the 40 man, and he looks just like any other player exposed to the Rule 5 draft.  Is this a bug? It seems like I shouldn't be able to do this.

He must have had options.  If thats the case you could have just used the "40 man remove" rather than the designate for assignment.

That used to be the case, md.. not any more. Even with options, every player has to go through waivers to be removed from the 40. Or released, of course. Those were the good, ol' days.

No, they can be designated without waivers and be assigned to the minors if they have options.   It's a loophole that should be closed. 

I-I-I-I-I-I .. did not know that.

I hate loopholes. Loopholes should be shot.