Reliever Eligibility Threshold

[Astros GM (Will)]

Some ideas were tossed around earlier during the season and offseason regarding reliever eligibility. Here are the current rules:

Hitter Service Time Advancement: 130 AB
Pitcher Service Time Advancement: 50 IP

These limits also act as pre-arbitration thresholds that determine 1 year of service time. 

The new rule will be voted on here for preference assuming we've already decided to make the change. I'll let Alex determine whether we want to back off on changes based on league input. Chime in if there are any other suggestions.

Note 1: in the options below, the season counts as a year of service time if at least one of the thresholds below are crossed. 

Note 2: If you prefer to not change (Travis?), then comment below and don't vote on poll.

Option 1:

Pitcher Eligibility Thresholds: 
- 50 IP or more
- 10 GS or more
- 20 relief appearances or more

Option 2:

Pitcher Eligibility Thresholds:
- 50 IP or more
- 10 GS or more
- 30 relief appearances or more

Option 3:

Pitcher Eligibility Thresholds:
- 50 IP or more
- 20 relief appearances or more

Option 4:

Pitcher Eligibility Thresholds:
- 50 IP or more
- 30 relief appearances or more

[Rockies GM (Alex)]

If we're making this change, I'd suggest also adding a stipulation for starting pitchers to include games started.

We could do for the complete rule: 50 IP, or 20 relief appearances, or 10 games started. If anyone of those would be hit, it would trigger a year of service time.

[Astros GM (Will)]

Nov 8, 2018 13:00:59 GMT -5 Rockies GM (Alex) said:

If we're making this change, I'd suggest also adding a stipulation for starting pitchers to include games started.

We could do for the complete rule: 50 IP, or 20 relief appearances, or 10 games started. If anyone of those would be hit, it would trigger a year of service time.

Good idea, it's been updated. This would catch the 'openers' most likely if the trend continues, but I don't think it's too big a deal as those guys would likely have hit the relief appearances as well.

[Nationals GM (Tim)]

Leave the rule as is.

Will Hannon is a bitch

[Dodgers GM (Scott)]

"To qualify for rookie status, a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the 25-player limit period, excluding time on the disabled list or in military service."

This is the mlb threshold for losing rookie eligibility. My vote would be that we implement the same thing. With the 45 day threshold we also wouldn't have all the relievers slipping through the cracks like we currently do.

[Astros GM (Will)]

I wouldn't want to count days on the active roster if I was Alex.

[Dodgers GM (Scott)]

I know that but if it was the same you could just check and see if the mlb considers him rookie eligible or not since it should line up. I don't know maybe that's harder to do than I thought. If there is no easy to check that without going through and checking manually than I would be in favor of one of the other options.

[Gene (Former Athletics GM)]

I'm in favor of using just the 130/50 AB/IP thresholds. Sometimes the "KISS" approach is best!

[Orioles GM (Michael)]

I like the proposal. Old/current system is definitely limiting. This does a good job of making sure a player's rookie year all but certainly won't be burned on a September call-up (which was why I had called for a high IP threshold to begin with), while also not making it so relievers are basically locked in for life.

[Nationals GM (Tim)]

Please cast your vote on this topic if you haven’t already.