An arbitrator has ruled that citizens must be law-abiding Erick Fedde does not have a fourth minor league season, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter link). This means that Fedde, a former choice in the first round, is now out of the league options and therefore cannot be sent to Triple-A without first being exposed to a waiver.
As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com explained in February 2020, the Nationals were granted a fourth option over Fedde for the 2020 season because the rules of the league stipulate that such an option be granted as a player all three minor league options have been exhausted, though he has not had five full seasons (between the Majors and Minors combined).
A “full” season, under these conditions, involves 90 or more days on an active roster, whether it be a major league or minor league. Time on the list of injured does not count in the definition. As such, Fedde’s 2015 season – which would be his first ‘full’ season after being drafted 18th overall in 2014 – did not count, as he recovered much of the year from the Tommy John operation and has not built up the required 90 days. . In the 2020 season, he played four ‘full’ seasons, but spent all his options. The fourth option was granted to the Nats.
The Nationals did not use the option last year on Fedde, which kept him at MLB level all season. The confusion surrounding Fedde and others was whether last year’s shortened schedule was a ‘full’ season. It was less than 90 days, but the length of service and the salary were quite important, and it could therefore be argued that the time on the roster for the purposes of determining the awards for minor league options should be treated in the same way. word. Fedde and agent Scott Boras probably appealed because he spent the 2020 season for the maximum time (67 days) on the roster, that he now has five “full” seasons in the bag, invalidating the fourth option .
This is a significant development for the Nationals’ site staff. Fedde used to look like a potential stranger behind fellow judges Joe Ross, the probably fifth appetizer, and Austin Voth, which is likely to open this year in the ‘pen. Both Ross and Voth had an advantage in the competition because they did not have fewer league options, but Fedde is now in a similar position and is therefore much more likely to make the opening day list.
There is room for the Nats to transport all three riders, but the sudden lack of an option for Fedde would deprive them of some flexibility. Brad Hand, Tanner Rainey and Daniel Hudson goes, of course, nowhere near the back of the pen, and Dwaal Suero also appears on solid ground. Because of its lack of options, Voth is likely to be a long-term relief spot. Adding Fedde to the mix can make it harder for a hopeful non-roster Javy Guerra, Luis Avilan or TJ McFarland to crack the grid. This is also not good news for relief of 40 men Kyle Finnegan and Ryne Harper, each of which does have small league options left.
Earlier this spring, it came to light that several players were waiting on the question of whether they did have a fourth minor league option or not. The cardinals Justin Williams‘the cubs’ Adbert Alzolay and the angels’ Jaime Barria was among the many players currently in this state. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted earlier this afternoon that some of the group were informed that they no longer have options, so it looks like Fedde is the first known player among the group.