Rule 5: What You Need to Know

[trendon]

The other post was hurried, so I'll do this.

What is it?

A veritable dispersal draft where you get to pick players from teams that are trying to stockpile talent in their systems. There are currently 952 players available to be drafted.

How Does It Work For Us

Tomorrow, at 10PM, there will be a sim. We will download the new files with everyone's updates and then proceed to facilitate the draft using the lists.

Who is Eligible to Be Drafted?

A player not on a team's secondary (40-Man) roster is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if the player was age 18 or younger when he first signed a contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed, OR if he was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.

You don't need to do the math; simply go to your TRANSACTIONS page and look for the guys with pound (#) signs next to their names. They are eligible.

What Do I Need To Do?

First, as a GM, you should be identifying players that are currently eligible for the Rule 5 draft on your team and deciding if you want to keep them eligible or make them ineligible. After that is done, you should be scouring the Rule 5 Draft pool and seeing if there is anyone you want to draft.

What Are the Rules for Drafted Players?

There are a number of roster rules relating to Rule 5 drafts:

- A team that wants to select a player in the Rule 5 draft must have at least one spot open on its secondary roster.
- A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the selecting team's active roster or disabled list for the entire season.
- A player who was drafted in the Rule 5 draft can be waived. If he is claimed, then the player must remain on the claiming team's active roster for the remainder of the season.
- A player selected in the Rule 5 draft can be traded. The team that receives the player must keep the player on its active roster for the remainder of the season.
- A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend 90 days on the active roster. This rule prevents teams from picking players and then dumping them on the disabled list for an entire season to avoid using an active roster spot. This rule can extend into the following season if necessary.

In other words, make sure you want this guy to play on your Major League team before you draft him.

How Do We Draft?

You send me a list through email (see below) or PM Bear with an ordered list of players you want and specific instructions on how you want this list to be handled.

Examples:

1. SP Dave Thomas
2. OF Mike Ford
3. RP Jim Cobb

Example instructions
- If I get Thomas, don't draft anyone else.
- Draft all three guys if available
- I only want two players max.
- If I get Thomas AND Ford, do not draft Cobb

OK, I have a guy on the 40-man roster that I want to expose in the draft. What do I do?

Waive and Designate for Assignment. He will be pissed, but he might be grabbed.

Any Other Tips?

- Do you have a guy that cost a little more than you might want to pay him? Maybe you can do the above and waive him and hope he gets grabbed.
- Remember, guys on the 40-man that spend more than 20 days in the minors burn an option. So, while you may want to protect a player, make sure you don't mind starting his optional assignment clock.
- If you prepare a list, be aware that the names in the draft pool may change as teams protect players.

trendonlynch at gmail