This week features the 2012 debuts of two of baseball’s top young players: Anthony Rizzo and Trevor Bauer. Much anticipation has preceded the debuts of Rizzo and Bauer, who both entered the season among the top 50 prospects in the game, according to Baseball America. However, service time considerations vary from player to player, and Rizzo's case is completely different from Bauer's. Here’s a detailed look at both situations:
- Anthony Rizzo – The first baseman debuted Tuesday, so he’ll accrue 100 days of service time assuming he stays in the Major Leagues for the remainder of the season. He picked up 68 days of service time under Cubs GM Jed Hoyer on last year’s Padres team, so he’s on track to have 168 days of service following the 2012 season. Players need 172 days of service time for a full year, so Rizzo’s expected to fall just short. This means he’ll be under Cubs control through 2018 as opposed to 2017 and justifies the timing of the promotion. Rizzo’s on track for super two status following the 2014 season, meaning he'll likely go to arbitration four times.
- Trevor Bauer – Bauer will debut tonight, which means he’ll accrue 98 days of MLB service assuming the Diamondbacks don’t demote him between now and the end of the season. Bauer, a 2011 draft pick, doesn’t have any MLB service time yet, so he’s on track to finish the season with 98 days of service. Presumably this won’t be enough for him to qualify for super two status following the 2014 season. Like Rizzo, Bauer will remain under team control through 2018.
