Post by Reds GM (Pat H.) on Jul 1, 2015 6:58:20 GMT -8
In order for a free agent to be signed to a minor league contract, the player must have never had a major league qualifying season in any season prior to the current season.
A Major League Qualifying season is one in which a player:
• appeared in more than 50 games for a position player
• started more than 10 games for a starting pitcher
• pitched in more than 30 innings for a non-starting pitcher
In the event a team has a pitcher that has both started and relieved, the "more than 30 innings" limitation would apply.
A Major League Qualifying season is one in which a player:
• appeared in more than 50 games for a position player
• started more than 10 games for a starting pitcher
• pitched in more than 30 innings for a non-starting pitcher
In the event a team has a pitcher that has both started and relieved, the "more than 30 innings" limitation would apply.
Minor League contracts and the one million dollar threshold.
Minor league contracts may be offered to qualifying free agents. These bids are to be offered as having a flat average annual salary.
For example:
Padres offer P Eric Skoglund (KC)
Minor league contract worth $1.0M
AAS: $1.0M
Rockies offer C Jacob Nottingham (HOU)
Minor league contract worth $1.5M
AAS: $1.5M
Skoglund and Nottingham are both in the low minors. There are two differences in how their contracts are treated due to the one million dollar threshold.
Eric Skoglund has never appeared in the majors and is signed for 1.0M AAS MiLB. He is eligible to be placed on the roster exempt list. He will continue to be paid 1.0M each season. The season after he makes his first appearance in the majors, his salary will revert to his real life salary and he will no longer be eligible for salary exemption.
Jacob Nottingham has never appeared in the majors and is signed for 1.5M AAS MiLB. He is not eligible to be placed on the roster exempt list. He will continue to to be paid 1.5M each season. The season after he has his first qualifying season, his salary will revert to his real life salary. This means if Nottingham were to be called up in September this season and make 22 appearances; he would still be paid 1.5M the following season.
Here are two more examples:
Reds offer P Cody Anderson (CLE)
Minor league contract worth $0.711M
AAS: $0.711M
Pirates offer P Trevor Gott (LAA)
Minor League contract worth $2.1M
AAS: $2.1M
Neither of these players are eligible for the salary exempt list because they had both appeared in the majors before being signed as free agents.
If neither one have a qualifying season this season, then next season Anderson will be paid his real life salary and Gott would still be paid 2.1M.
I think this is where some people are using the PP(0/5) notation to describe players who are signed to minor league contracts, but are in the majors for the first time.
If an owner chooses to use the (1/5)-(5/5) convention of listing protection years, then they must follow these guidelines:
(1/5) - A player that has not used a year of protection yet, but has appeared in at least one Major League game and is currently in the first year of protection.
(2/5) - A player that has used one year of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the second year of protection.
(3/5) - A player that has used two years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the third year of protection.
(4/5) - A player that has used three years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the fourth year of protection.
(5/5) - A player that has used four years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the fifth year of protection.
(1/5) - A player that has not used a year of protection yet, but has appeared in at least one Major League game and is currently in the first year of protection.
(2/5) - A player that has used one year of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the second year of protection.
(3/5) - A player that has used two years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the third year of protection.
(4/5) - A player that has used three years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the fourth year of protection.
(5/5) - A player that has used four years of protection prior to the current season and is currently in the fifth year of protection.
Also remember that players may not accumulate stats in a match-up while on the salary exempt roster.