So I may need to issue a major mea cupla.
As you might remember, I performed an extensive review and summary of the Major League Rules (including Rule 5) in 2007, using a copy of the 2005 Major League Rules. This helped us create a system to determine Rule 5 and MLFA eligibility. As you also might remember, the ML Rules were amended in March 2008. At the time, Rule 5 was adjusted to add another year of protection to every minor league player (from 3 and 4 years to 4 and 5 years). Rule 5 was also amended to start the Rule 5 clock running from the year the player signed his contract instead of the first effective yeart of that contract. I updated our summary and our Rule 5 calculations using press releases from MLB.com and info I received from some people in the know (I did not have a copy of the March 2008 ML Rules myself at the time - they are not publicly available). I was told at the time that the "year" clock started running at the Rule 5 Draft itself in early December.
I just got a copy of the March 2008 ML Rules and began performing another review. It turns out that the "year" clock starts to run at the end of the minor league season rather than the Rule 5 Draft itself. So that means players who signed their original pro contracts between mid September and early December actually have one more year of Rule 5 protection than we initially thought. This affects a few players in the Sox system, one being Yamaico Navarro (he signed his original deal on September 23. 2005). In sum, I now think that Navarro is not elgible for the 2009 Rule 5 Draft. Really sorry for the confusion.
I will post the text of Rule 5 today so you can all read it and decide for yourselves.
As you might remember, I performed an extensive review and summary of the Major League Rules (including Rule 5) in 2007, using a copy of the 2005 Major League Rules. This helped us create a system to determine Rule 5 and MLFA eligibility. As you also might remember, the ML Rules were amended in March 2008. At the time, Rule 5 was adjusted to add another year of protection to every minor league player (from 3 and 4 years to 4 and 5 years). Rule 5 was also amended to start the Rule 5 clock running from the year the player signed his contract instead of the first effective yeart of that contract. I updated our summary and our Rule 5 calculations using press releases from MLB.com and info I received from some people in the know (I did not have a copy of the March 2008 ML Rules myself at the time - they are not publicly available). I was told at the time that the "year" clock started running at the Rule 5 Draft itself in early December.
I just got a copy of the March 2008 ML Rules and began performing another review. It turns out that the "year" clock starts to run at the end of the minor league season rather than the Rule 5 Draft itself. So that means players who signed their original pro contracts between mid September and early December actually have one more year of Rule 5 protection than we initially thought. This affects a few players in the Sox system, one being Yamaico Navarro (he signed his original deal on September 23. 2005). In sum, I now think that Navarro is not elgible for the 2009 Rule 5 Draft. Really sorry for the confusion.
I will post the text of Rule 5 today so you can all read it and decide for yourselves.
