wilk

As long as they were placed(and kept) on the major league roster for September, no option would be used. Right. Sending them back down next spring would use an option, but that would be the case anyway if they're added to the 40-man roster in the off-season to protect them from Rule 5. Right but I think he meant the "clock" which is calendar years from the time added to the 40-man roster and the time before a player needs to clear waivers to be optioned, etc. But you wouldn't really need to option a player in September anyway.

Yes. With a NTC, you can veto a waiver claim.

I was talking about his "pitching ability" though and not necessarily his quantity of success. His "setbacks" are what will keep him from being a $150M pitcher and what even made him available to us. As the balance is, I absolutely take his talent and ability (and risks) at that rate.

As a couple posters have already pointed out, you offer him arbitration and then you try to sign him for 2 years. However I'd be a little less pleased with the picks than some, so I'd get him signed. If it takes trading Wells or finding a taker for Dempster, we'd find a fit. I'd take Harden before any other starter on the roster going forward considering he's unquestionably the best pitcher.

White Sox.

He can decline a waiver claim too. So he'd have to accept a move to leave either way.

Because the whole draft and process is intended for the benefit of the player. The thought is that if there is another team who is willing yet to put him on the active roster, that is better for the player's career than still being stashed away in a different system. So if a team will give the player the opportunity, that is given priority to a team that will bury him anyway.

Exactly! I've seen this debated endlessly and since there are no good official sources it's always left "unsettled." davearm2 is explaining it accurately! The Rule 5 draft is supposed to be for the benefit of the eligible players and that's why every team gets the chance to put him on the active roster before he's just stashed back in the system!

No, that's true. Any Rule 5 pick is exposed to waivers before a return trade and then those teams can roster the player with Rule 5 restrictions. They still can't send him down though until he fully clears waivers and the original team declines return or trades him, or he spends the year on the active roster (90 days + DL).

And .213 / .282 / .320 / .602 career against lefties, away from Coors. ...

Yes, he would not have to be on the active playoff roster. He would remain on the ML roster and playoff reserve list but they don't have to play him in the playoffs. He could also be put on the DL...

No, if the Cubs were to remove him from the 25-man roster in any fashion besides a disabled list, he FIRST is exposed to waivers and any team has the chance to claim him along with his Rule 5 restrictions. It's only AFTER he clears waivers that he no longer has the Rule 5 limitations and Colorado can either trade his rights or have him returned to their minor league reserve roster for $25k (or refuse the return, making him Cubs property). We cannot offer anything to Colorado for his rights unless every other team passes on him first. (...definitively. :wink: )

The only way they could have done that would be if he first cleared waivers. I think some pitching-starved non-contender (e.g. Pittsburgh or San Diego) would have claimed him and kept him on the roster with the hope he'd contribute in the future. No, they could've sent something to Colorado to get his full rights. Incorrect. He would have to pass through waivers BEFORE Colorado could trade him.

We have a :starwars: duel as to who is better Gathright or Tony Gwynn, Jr. Sit back and enjoy the ride, SSR. It's not that at all... Just sarcasm over some terrible reasoning... :wink:

Here is Gathright's career line vs. the Angels: .359 .386 .500 .886 Here is Gathright's career line vs. the A's: .348 .426 .435 .861 Wow. I had no idea Gathright was that good. I have officially changed my mind and believe that Gathright is way better than Gwynn. Good to hear because your 25 AB reasoning almost convinced me until I saw these 150 plate appearances. Now it's fact that Gathright is pretty solid.