MLBTR Glossary Rumors

Transactions Calendar

Here are some of the most important dates for baseball transactions: January - Players file for arbitration and exchange figures with teams. This process took place from January 5th-20th this year. February - Salary arbitration hearings take place. March - Clubs can renew the contracts of unsigned players who aren't yet eligible for arbitration. June - The first year player draft takes place in early June (it was June 9th this year). June 16th - Before June 16th, teams can't deal newly-signed free agents without their permission. July 2nd - The International Signing Period begins. July 31st - Teams have...   Continue Reading

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Major League Contracts

If you look closely at our list of signed first round picks, you'll notice that some players signed Major League deals and some didn't. Here's an explanation of Major League contracts: Teams can spread a player's signing bonus over a number of years if they sign him to a Major League deal. Players like Jacob Turner, Dustin Ackley and Stephen Strasburg, who sign Major League deals, must be placed on their teams' 40-man rosters immediately, even if they start their careers in the minors. This reduces flexibility for the player's team. Teams have to use options to assign players on...   Continue Reading

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Two-Sport Athletes

When you hear someone call Donavan Tate a two-sport athlete, it means more than you might think. Clubs can distribute bonuses differently to those designated as two-sport athletes. Here are the details: The commissioner's office defines which players are two-sport athletes. Single sport athletes receive their bonuses within a year (unless they sign major league contracts). Teams can spread bonuses for two-sport athletes over as many as five years. This means the team commits less in terms of present value and gets some financial flexibility. Thanks to Jim Callis of Baseball America.   Continue Reading

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Minimum Salary

Ever wonder what the smallest possible payroll is? You couldn't field a major league team for less than $10MM this year, because the major league minimum is $400k. Players with at least one day of service time and players who have been on the 40 man roster for two or more years make at least $65k, even if they're in the minor leagues. Minimum salaries at the major and minor league level increase regularly to account for the cost of living. The Marlins had the smallest opening day payroll this year, at $36.8MM, or about $5MM more than Alex Rodriguez's...   Continue Reading

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Option Years

Teams use options to shuttle players on their 40-man roster to and from the minor leagues risk-free. Here are a few specifics to round out this MLBTR Glossary entry: Once a player is on his team's 40-man roster, his club has three separate seasons over the course of which it can promote and demote the player without exposing him to other teams. Minor leaguers on the 40-man roster are on an optional assignment. They can be promoted and demoted an unlimited number of times within an option year. Once a player's three option years are up, he must clear waivers...   Continue Reading

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August Trades

We looked at the July 31st trade deadline earlier today, but teams can still deal after the deadline passes. This MLBTR Glossary entry explains how trading in August works: Teams have to pass players through revocable waivers to trade them after the July 31st deadline. Players acquired after August 31st can't play in the postseason. Teams will often put most of their players on waivers to determine interest, since they don't have to give up every player who's claimed. Unclaimed players can be traded to any club in August. Claimed players can be kept, traded or handed over to the...   Continue Reading

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The July 31st Trade Deadline

If you're a regular reader of this site, then this addition to the MLBTR Glossary won't be a confusing one, but we can never be too clear when we're talking about the busiest trading day of the year. Teams looking to trade players without first putting them on waivers must do so by 4pm EST on July 31st. Last year we saw Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ivan Rodriguez all dealt at the deadline. Two of the reasons it tends to be such a busy day: teams have a better sense of their place in the pennant...   Continue Reading

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The Disqualified List

Another term for the MLBTR Glossary... Players who violate the terms of their contract can be placed on the disqualified list, which prevents them from collecting service time and money. For example, the Nationals threatened to put Alfonso Soriano on the disqualified list when he refused to play the outfield in 2006, as this AP story shows. Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts.   Continue Reading

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The International Signing Period

Here's some detail on the international signing period, which begins in just a couple weeks: Most international players aren't eligible to be drafted; they're signed as free agents instead. The signing period begins July 2nd. The youngest eligible players for this year were born in late August and early September, 1993. This year's international free agents must turn 17 by September 1st 2010, or the end of their first pro season, whichever is later. Check out this article by Baseball America's Ben Badler to see how the Reds signed Juan Duran before anyone- even his own agent- thought he was...   Continue Reading

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Arbitration

Today's MLBTR Glossary entry: Arbitration exists to help teams and players settle on contracts. The two sides usually come to an agrement without having to go to arbitration, but if they can't, each side submits a figure and a panel of three arbitrators chooses one of them. Arbitration occurs in two different situations. First, when a player has between three and six years service time or qualifies as a Super Two, he's arbitration eligible, but isn't yet free to negotiate with others teams. Here's how arbitration works for players who have yet to hit free agency: Generally speaking, teams can't...   Continue Reading

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