Major League Baseball’s directives returned to the fray, when the suspension of Major League transactions was lifted.
But for all those hoping to focus on what the rosters around MLB will look like this season, that could be trickier than usual.
“Player Pools” or Reservation Groups, “Taxi Squads” or Rotating Groups and Alternate Training Places are just some of the terms that will be part of the baseball language as the 2020 season kicks off. With that in mind, we will try to answer the question. Most of the roster-related questions that are sure to come up in the coming days, weeks, and months.
What exactly does “Reserve Groups” mean and what is an “Alternate Training Venue”?
Sunday at 4 p.m. ET is the first deadline for submitting rosters for all 30 MLB clubs, which must also submit their 60-player Reserve Pool – in other words, the list of players who will be eligible to play for them. this campaign. According to the league’s Operational Manual, all players on a roster of 40 players “that the Club anticipates will participate” during the season will be part of the Reserve Group, while the rest will be made up of players from outside the roster of 40 who are under contract. Any player on the roster of 40 who is not included in a Reserves Group (for example, perhaps a prospect who is not yet scheduled to make his major league debut) will continue to receive his salary during the season.
No team will be allowed to exceed the 60-player limit in its Reserve Pool at any time during Spring Training 2.0 or the regular season.
While the Opening Day starting roster will consist of 30 players from each team, the other 30 will remain at an Alternate Training Venue, which will likely be a stadium of one of the minor league teams of the club in question. For example, the Pirates announced that their alternate location will be their Double-A affiliate in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Teams will also need to submit a list of which of those 60 players will be invited to Major League Baseball training camps, while the others will head to the Alternate Training Venue for training.
Wait. So teams won’t be able to have non-roster guests on their training fields? How is it that you can integrate them to your Reservation Group?
Yes, teams around the league have multiple non-roster players on training grounds, many of whom have exit clauses in their contracts.
Teams can place these players on their 60-man Reserve Pool roster, although it’s unclear what will happen if they get out of their contracts before the end of practice.
In most cases, players with exit clauses can request their withdrawal – but any player who has been removed from a Reserves Group of a team through withdrawal or via waiver assignment could no longer be reinstated to the Reserves Group for the rest of the 2020 campaign.
Non-roster players who signed minor league contracts with no exit clauses could be assigned to the Reserve Pool without being placed on the active roster. These players would have to report to the Alternate Training Venue, where they would continue to work pending their team calling during the season.
Will teams have to put up with those 60 players throughout the season?
No. Teams will be able to carry out standard transactions throughout the year, so in order to add a player to the Reserve Pool, they must remove another player from it.
Players within the roster of 40 may be removed via trade, claim waivers, return of a Rule 5 Draft selection, withdrawal, or assignment, designation for assignment, placement on the 45-day disabled list, placement on the COVID-19 related injured list, or suspension list (by club), voluntary recalls, restricted list, disqualification or ineligible lists.
Non-roster players of 40 may be removed via trade, withdrawal, placement on the COVID-19-related injured list, or placement on the suspended list (by the club), or placement on army lists, voluntary retirement, restricted, disqualified or ineligible. Any non-roster player of 40 who is injured will continue to take a spot in the Pool of Reserves unless they are removed through one of the above transactions.
How many players will be eligible to watch action daily?
When the season kicks off on July 23 or 24, teams will turn over their rosters of up to 30 players, with a minimum of 25. Two weeks later, those rosters will be reduced to 28, then 26 two weeks after that. Once teams are limited to a 26-player roster, they will be allowed to add a 27th player on double rounds.
There is no limit to the number of pitchers that will be allowed on an active roster this season.
Will teams include their best prospects in their Pool of Reserves?
This answer probably varies from team to team. In the end it will be the decision of each club.
Will teams be able to make changes?
Yes, although not every player in the organization can be traded in 2020. The Trade Deadline for this season has been changed from July 31 to August 31, but unlike past years, teams will have limitations as to which players may change.
Only the 60 players who make up a team’s Reserves Group will be eligible to be traded, limiting the number of minor league players who will change teams this summer. Players acquired via trade must be assigned to a team’s Reserves Group .
What is the “Taxi Squad” or Rotating Group about?
Each team will be allowed a Rotating Group of three players for each tour, which will serve as immediate options to replace a player injured or infected by COVID-19. Those players will come out of the 60-player Reserve Pool, but the goal of including them in the trip is to avoid sending a player on a commercial flight in the event of an injury.
A Rotating Group of three players – which each team must integrate in all their travels – must include at least one receiver, while the other players can be pitchers or position players.
These three players will be allowed to train with the team away from home, while the catcher will also serve as the bullpen catcher. At the end of the tour, the players in this Rotating Group will return to the Alternate Training Venue, although the catcher will be allowed to remain with the team as a bullpen catcher for home games.
Players who make up the Rotating Group will not receive MLB salary or MLB service time, but will receive the allowed amount of US $ 108.50 per day in addition to their minor league salary.
Will the “Nashville Plan” Come True?
There has been talk of a plan that would involve sending 40 to 60 unattached free agents – most of them players who saw action in Triple-A or the majors last year – to Nashville, Tennessee, where they will make up a pair of teams. that could serve as a pool of players to be called up by all 30 MLB clubs. The Nashville Sounds – the Rangers’ Triple-A team – would host that group.
Given the potential for COVID-19 infections along with other potential injuries, a pool of ready-to-play free agents could be of great help to clubs, especially if clubs are plagued by multiple injuries or infections at once.(GG) (TAKEN MLB.COM).