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Designated For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 16, 2009 at 5:17pm CST]

We hear about this one every week, so let's file it in the MLBTR Glossary.

When a player is designated for assignment, he's removed from his team's 40-man roster to make room for another player. His team then has ten days to assign him to the minor leagues, trade him, or release him. Players who have the right to refuse a minor league assignment benefit from the ten-day window, and it buys time for the team as well.

For a team to assign a player to the minor leagues, he must first be exposed to all other teams on irrevocable outright waivers. If he's claimed, the claiming team pays the player the major league minimum, with his original team paying the remainder of his salary. If no one claims him, he can be released or optioned to the minors.

A player's ability to refuse a minor league assignment depends on his service time and contract status.

Thanks to Rob Neyer's Transactions Primer and Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Full Story | Comments (5) | Categories: MLBTR Glossary

Comments

Picayune question: during the ten-day period, is the player still paid his major league salary, some other amount, or nothing at all?

Posted by: FCForrest | June 16, 2009 at 06:00 PM

His contract is a contract. He makes his money no matter what happens.

Posted by: MickS | June 16, 2009 at 06:51 PM

Meant to say "a contract is a contract". All major league contracts are guaranteed unlike the N.F.L.

Posted by: MickS | June 16, 2009 at 07:02 PM

I believe this is a little off. I'm almost certain that if a player is claimed off waivers, the claiming team has to take on the entire contract.

If the player is released and then signed by another team, the original team is responsible for the contract. If the player signs with a new team, the original team is off the hook for the amount being paid by the new team. Almost always, the new contract will be for the major league minimum. The only exception I've ever seen to that was when Andruw Jones signed with Texas this offseason.

Posted by: yanksfan | June 16, 2009 at 10:39 PM

Yanksfan's right!
If a player is put on outright waivers and a team claims him, the claiming team assume his entire contract (not only the ML minimum). If he's released and signs with another team, the new team is responsible for the ML minimum.

Posted by: ITALIAN09 | June 17, 2009 at 03:00 AM

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