All - 

I have a few youngsters I want to promote for my playoff run, but I don't want to burn a year a of ARB if I don't need to.  

Currently the young guys are in AAA, and if I "promote" them to my big league roster for the playoff roster lock, they will accumulate roughly 26 games played to end the season.  

Questions:
1)  If the young guys play the last 26 games, AND in the playoffs, do the arb figures count playoff games?

2) Will I risk severely damaging their development if I call them up for the playoffs, let them accumulate 26 games played in the majors, send them back to AAA after the playoffs, and then wait until roughly game 60 the next season to call them back up into the MLB??  If I did this method, I would still save a "year" of ARB right?

Thanks for any help on this.

Any time on the regular season roster is BL time accrued.  Playoffs do not count.

No, demotion after the regular season for expansion call-ups will not result in a ratings hit.    Waiting until game 60 of next year might equate to ******* away a full season.   I'd make that decision when the time comes.  Playing games to delay arb/FA is something we all do but doing it while wrecking your chances for a playoff run is a bad idea(IMO).

I had to look.  You're chasing the "dream team".    Making the playoffs is the key to HBD not building some team full of superstars.   You can go 14-10 in the playoffs and win the WS.   Having a loaded team doesn't guarantee that any more than entering the playoffs at 83-79 with the WC2 guarantees you can't go 14-10.