League Updates • Rules

Mr. Answer Man 1, Random Owner a smaller 1

January 5, 2018
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(Ed. Note: We are all flawed humans.  In today’s Mr. Answer Man, we will discover this applies to Mr. Answer Man Himself.)

 

January 2, 2018

Dear Mr. Answer Man:

If I drop Kelvin Herrera, an unsigned free agent, and he signs with an MLB club, do I get salary relief from that signing?

— Concerned Owner

 

Dear Concerned:

Yes you do.

— Mr. EFL Answer Man

January 3, 2018

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DRIVE

KALINE:   Kaline DFA’s … Kelvin Herrera.

 

(Ed. Note: Today (Jan 5) we discovered, thanks to a helpful EFL owner, Herrera wasn’t a free agent — he was only up for another round of arbitration. )

 

Dear Mr. EFL Answer Man

I will ask the league to revoke my DFA-ing of Herrera.,, Sorry to create this problem. 

— Concerned

 

Dear Concerned:

You have never created a problem.  I created this one. I will take care of this. 

— Mr. EFL Answer Man

 

January 5

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE EFL COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

Kaline DFA’d Kelvin Herrera because he believed Herrera was a free agent.
…
It turns out he is not: he is up for another round of arbitration, but he’s still under the Royals’ control.  We only get salary relief if every MLB team has (at least in theory) the right to try to sign a player, and someone does so after we’ve DFA’d the player.
Because of my oversight, Kaline’s move DFAing Herrera put it at a disadvantage.  This was not Kaline’s fault… I made a mistake resulting in Kaline acting on my misinformation.  Normally I would check to be sure the player is a free agent, but I skipped that step this time. I doubt that anyone else will be disadvantaged if we reverse Kaline’s DFA of Kelvin Herrera.
Therefore I rescind the DFA.  Herrera is still a full member of the Kaline Drive.
My ruling may be appealed to the league ownership upon the motion of at least three owners.
…..
(Ed. Note:  Mr. EFL Answer Man is not alone in his imperfections.)

Dear Mr. EFL Answer Man:

Cecchini played at SS in 2016 so I believe he should have a SS rating. Am I mistaken?

— Cecchini Watcher

 

Dear Watcher:

Sort of, and in a crucial way.

At our Winter Meetings a year ago, we adopted the following language, inserted into the beginning of rule IV. A. 4. :

4.  Beginning with the 2017 season, to be eligible for a defensive rating the player must have made at least 5 appearances at a position in the previous 2 years. 

We still treat players as eligible at any position they appear at in the current year.

Cecchini appeared at ss twice in 2016.  He never appeared there in 2015 or 2017.  So, yes, he did appear in 2016. But no, he is not eligible in 2018, unless he makes an appearance at ss in 2018.

Don’t worry — it’s not the biggest rule-related mistake made this week in the EFL.  I’m still in first place on that one.

— Mr. EFL Answer Man,