Spring training is a time of strategic planning and anticipation for baseball fans. It’s a period of conjecture on where teams will position themselves in the upcoming season’s landscape. As powerhouse teams gear up for another successful season and surprise teams emerge, the strategic decisions made by MLB front offices to set their 26-man rosters add an extra layer of excitement.

We love to watch the performances in spring training and project who we want to see on our team’s roster. Like other sports, baseball has some intricacies within its collective bargaining agreement that make roster setting more difficult than picking the 26 best players available for the opening day roster. The intricacies in football and baseball can be easier to understand due to the salary cap structures of those sports. We see surprising roster cuts and contract restructuring in the NFL each season to allow teams to be financially compliant with the salary cap. NBA trades often include non-impact players to align salaries, moving back and forth to fit into the team’s salary cap structures. Baseball does not have a salary cap and has a more prominent minor league system. Therefore, the collective bargaining agreement limits how players can be moved between the major league and minor league rosters.

The minor league option process, the focus of this article, is a meticulously designed system that governs the movement of players between the major and minor leagues. It’s important to note that this system is not just about rules and regulations, but also about fairness. It sets clear limits for each player, ensuring a balanced and fair approach that benefits both the team and the player.

26-man vs. 40-man Rosters

To understand the options process, it’s crucial to grasp the difference between the 26-man MLB roster and a team’s 40-man roster. This knowledge empowers you to navigate the intricacies of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement and the minor league option system, making you a more informed and knowledgeable fan.

Being included on the 40-man roster is a crucial strategic move. It shields players from being eligible to be selected by the 29 other teams in MLB’s annual Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft is a mechanism designed to prevent teams from stockpiling young talent in their minor league systems without giving them a chance to play at the major league level. Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-man roster within five seasons, or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older must be protected within four seasons. Players picked in the Rule 5 draft are assigned to the drafting team’s 26-man roster. Instead of going directly to the minors, the player must be put on outright waivers if they are removed from the 26-man roster. Further, the player must be offered back to his previous team if he clears the waiver process for a minimal fee of $50,000. If they clear this process, the player will be sent to the minor leagues for the team that selected him in the Rule 5 draft.

Being on the 40-man roster protects teams from having players poached from their minor league system. Not protecting a player with a 40-man roster designation allows minor league players the opportunity to play where their services might be required elsewhere. A prominent example was the Chicago Cubs trade for Michael Busch before the 2024 season. Busch was a minor-league prospect first baseman for the Dodgers. His path to the 26-man roster was blocked with the Dodgers having superstar Freddie Freeman at first base. Further, third baseman Max Muncy’s ability to play first base covered the Dodgers in case of any injuries to Freeman. The Dodgers were likely not going to protect Busch with a 40-man roster designation because of their first base situation and the depth of talent they had elsewhere in their organization. Therefore, the Dodgers traded Busch and Yency Almonte (a player with a similar 40-man roster crunch situation) to the Chicago Cubs for lower-level prospects who had not met the requirements to be assigned to the 40-man roster. The trade gave the Cubs talented players who could fill roles on their 26-man roster while allowing the Dodgers to get prospects they could further develop without being required to protect in return.

What is a Minor League Option?

Now that you understand the 40-man roster, it is time to dive into minor-league options. Below is a summary of the minor league option rules per the mlb.com glossary:

• For instance, players like Paul Skenes, who breezed through the minor leagues and debuted in the major leagues less than one year after being drafted, are often granted a fourth option year due to their rapid progression. This extra year allows teams more time to evaluate their potential and decide on their future with the team.
• Players on the 40-man roster who do not open the season on the 26-man roster or the injured list must be optioned to the minor leagues. One of the player’s options is used if they spend more than 20 days in the minor leagues.
• A player can be assigned to the minor leagues five times within an option year. After that, they must be placed on waivers eligible for other teams to claim before being transferred to the minors. These limits prevent teams from yo-yo-ing players back and forth between the major league team and minor league affiliates.
• Once transferred to the minors, a position player must stay there for ten days, while pitchers require a minimum of 15 days.
• Once a player is out of options, they must be designated for assignment. This means they are removed from the 40-man roster and placed on waivers, allowing other teams to claim them. If no team claims the player, they are typically assigned to the minor leagues. This situation can significantly impact a player’s career trajectory, as they may move to a new team or be released from their current team.
• Players with five years of MLB service time must consent to being optioned. This rule respects the experience and seniority of these players, giving them a say in their career path and team placement.

In summary, a team must use an option to send a player on its roster to the minor leagues while maintaining their status on the 40-man roster. Based on past options and MLB service time, there are limits on how often teams can move players. One more consideration is that these carry over from team to team. So, a player’s option status transfers with them if they are traded or otherwise move to a new team.

Impact on Team Roster Construction

The minor league option structure significantly impacts roster construction. It’s not just about picking the best players, but also about strategic planning and careful consideration of each player’s option status. This complexity adds an extra layer of excitement to the game, especially during spring training when teams carry inflated rosters before trimming them down to opening-day rosters.

Consider a situation where there is a position where an up-and-coming prospect could break camp with the 26-man roster. However, another player on the spring training roster who lacks minor league options is vying for the same position. The team must release the second player if it chooses the prospect for the 26-man roster. The prospect would have all of their minor league options, and assigning them to the minor leagues would use one of their option years. However, the team could keep both players in the organization, which could be advantageous from a roster depth perspective.

This leads to tough roster decisions for all teams this time of year. Front offices must consider more than who the best players will be on opening day to put their rosters in the best position for the whole season. Remember this perspective when evaluating who your team carries on their 26-man roster heading into the season.

Impact on Players

The minor league option is one element of the agreed-upon collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and the players’ association. This process benefits younger players with less service time to limit the team’s ability to send players up and down at their will. It also benefits older players by limiting the ability of teams to send them down without the possibility of allowing them to explore opportunities with other teams.

However, there are downsides to players who sit on the edge of making major league rosters. A player’s minor league option status is heavily considered in roster transactions. Therefore, players who can be productive major league players may be less attractive to teams because signing or trading for them presents roster flexibility issues. Although a veteran major league player may be more talented, a team could choose to go with a less talented younger player who presents more roster flexibility with outstanding minor league options.

Conclusion

The minor league option process has pros and cons for players and teams. The method protects younger players, limiting the team’s ability to send them up and down in their minor league system. MLB players have a more extended period before they are eligible for free agency than other sports. This process is vital as the average major league service time is less than three years. However, it does come at the expense of veteran players who can still be major leaguers but are presented with fewer opportunities. The process is not at the top of the mind of casual baseball fans because it rarely impacts the best players in the sport. However, it affects many gritty players who become fan favorites who no longer see the opportunities earned from their service to the game.