[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Please forgive me if I've asked this before...

MLB.com states that players on a team's 40-man roster have three minor league options, but it doesn't mention the number of such options involving players not on the 40-man roster.

Is there a limit to how many times one such player can be optioned?

This caught my attention when three non-40 pitchers: Max Fried, Lucas Sims & Matt Wisler were optioned three, four and four times respectively in a five week span this season.

Thanks for any info.


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Hi Raymond,

I'll try to clarify this for you with my interpretation of MLB rule 11(C). If anybody reads this differently, please feel free to jump in.

A minor league player does not have a limited number of options, per se-their parent Major League team may move them between the 40-man roster, and one of their minor league affiliates, as many times as they want. However, once a player is added to the Major League team's 40-man roster, a three year window starts closing. Essentially, the Major League team must determine what they are going to do with the player while this window is open. If they don't, they may lose the rights to the player.

If, at any point during the three years, a player spends 20 or more days in the minors, one of those years are used up, accelerating the closure of the three year window (it is possible to add a fourth year to the window; that is detailed in the link I've provided below). If this happens, the team has only two years left to decide what they're going to do.

If the three year window runs out, the Major League team can either keep the player on their 40-man MLB eligible roster, add them to the 25-man active MLB roster, or try to send them back down to the minor leagues. If the MLB club wishes to send the "out of options" player back to the minors, that player must first clear waivers. Other Major League teams can then claim the player. If no other team claims the player, the player goes back down.

The pitchers you referenced are somewhere within their respective three year windows. My interpretation is that the Major League club can send them down, and call them back up, as many times as they want until that window closes.

See options