Post by NY Mets - Admin on Mar 14, 2023 13:55:07 GMT
Minor League Call-ups and Service Time + Arbitration breakdown
Calling a player up in FMD is a big decision. Once an owner decides to bring a prospect up to the big club two things happen. One his clock starts on his 4 years of arbitration status. This does not have to be 4 full years, if you bring up a prospect in August that is year one of team control.
The second thing that happens is the player begins his free season with the big club. As stated in the constitution I wanted to add a way to manipulate service time like MLB teams have been doing for years. Also, since roster and player position eligibility are designed to make roster construction more difficult, I wanted teams to use their farm systems in a way to relieve some of the pressure of those other restrictions. So just like stated above if you bring a prospect up in August that will be the year in which he is free. Starting the next year his salary will be based on the arbitration formula that is listed in the constitution.
But if you wait to bring a player up to start the next season, you will have 4 full years of team control plus a full season of not having to pay a salary.
One thing that is not mentioned in the rules until now that I thought would be obvious, but I want to clarify just the same. Two things really, the first is that all of this is indicative of the player having minor league eligibility. If you keep a player down with the intention of manipulating his service time but he reaches 160ABs in that season then he will automatically be graduated to the major league team. This will of course start his clock on pay and service time. The second is that as long as the player has a green M tag he can be moved between the major and minor league systems. This will give teams flexibility not allowed by the base system.
Example. Player A gets called up to his MLB team in real life in June. You also bring the player up. That player is up and has started his 2 clocks discussed above. If the player is sent back down the next day by his club never to be sent back up in that year, or if the player is hurt or disappears in a magic trick, you are still on the hook for starting that players clock. I referred to it as a delicate dance in the constitution and I think that is a good explainer.
Example 2. Player B is called up by his MLB team in July, you are not trying to win this year so you keep him down hoping to maximize his service time and salary. Player B ends up starting every day and before the year is out reaches 160 ABs. Player B will now have to be sent up to the MLB team losing this owner the things he was hoping to achieve.
Example 2 if caught early enough might be a situation where a tanking team trades Player B to a team that needs now production for a younger prospect. Similar to how the Rays trade older prospects that they do not have room for on the 40 an roster.
I could continue, instead if you have questions feel free to ask them.
Finally we will have a system in place to record when a team first calls up its prospect. I am not sure yet if you will message myself or one of the co-commissioners or if you will record it yourself in PB. I will let everyone know before the season starts.