I admittedly never noticed the help blurb on the edit roster page: "Players must be assigned to a team within ten actual days of acquisition or they will be automatically released. For instance, if the player is signed during Free Agent Negotiations in the off-season, he must be assigned by the end of the tenth calendar day (30th game) of regular season games."

While it says "ten calendar days", it also goes on to say that a player signed during the early FA period would not be subject to this rule until the regular season starts. This means a player could conceivably be "stashed" for 20+ calendar days... keeping them "off the market" almost three weeks while the owner makes other deals (rule 5, managing 40 man, etc.). I'm not 100% sure there is a huge advantage here, but perhaps stashing through the rule 5 would be a strategy since many teams are filling our their 40 at that time.

Or... I'm missing something/the help is incorrect or misleading...

Am I reading it correctly? Appreciate any insight or thoughts. Nothing like playing this game for years and finally realizing some of the minutiae (yea, yea, user error and all that)

This is a good question.

I see the red release transaction code a lot under leage transactions. That always told me that somebody signed a player, but never assigned him and ten real life days went by. It is my opinion that the language used in the example within the help blurb is a poor choice of words. The way that I understand it is that, after 30 game cycles (each cycle being 8 real life hours), if the player that was signed is not assigned, the sim auto releases the player. There have been times where I have signed too many minor league free agents and I have several players that remain in NEEDING ASSIGNMENT status through spring training. However, my number of players needing assignment dwindles the closer I get to the end of spring training. The reason this happens is that if I signed a guy at the beginning of free agency, after ten calendar days of not being assigned, he is auto released. However, if I sign a player near the end of free agency, his tens days lasts closer to the beginning of the season.

As far the stashing strategy, I think even players unassigned are eligible to be placed in the rule 5 pool. I have 26 unassigned players in one of my Worlds and all the minor league guys have a maroon colored 5 icon next to their name.

I think the biggest advantage that keeping your players unassigned gives you is the potential that it gives your franchise an advantage in signing minor league free agents by making the sim think that there is little depth on your squad.

If you sign a player on the real life day before the Rule 5 draft you may keep him both unassigned and protected from the Rule 5 draft... in case you sign the player and don't sign into your team in that 24 hour stretch. Otherwise they are vulnerable to the Rule 5 draft.

Posted by dedelman on 2/6/2022 11:33:00 AM (view original):
If you sign a player on the real life day before the Rule 5 draft you may keep him both unassigned and protected from the Rule 5 draft... in case you sign the player and don't sign into your team in that 24 hour stretch. Otherwise they are vulnerable to the Rule 5 draft.

This has been my experience too, only the players on the day before the roster freeze. Not sure of the exact rationale but that seems to be how it works.

Getting a little more to kmueller's initial inquiry (I think), I don't see any real advantage to stashing a major-league acquisition in needing assignment limbo because eventually, you will need that 40-man spot and if your 40 is full entering the Rule 5 draft, you are still going to have to make a move before the regular season begins (well, technically before Game 30, but why would you do that if you acquired the player to help your team?). It just delays the inevitable.

The only time I've used this was when I wanted to potentially grab someone in R5 to fill a specific role. I'll keep an ML players who sign the last day of FA as Unassigned to save that 40 man spot. After the R5 draft I can make corresponding moves from there.

So not a big advantage but a small roster flexibility option if you're unsure you want to use the R5 draft.