This is straight from the manual. I will respond to this thread later with my take on what to do to prepare and lookout for. This will be a new feature for ALL of us this time around.
The Rule 5 draft was designed to prevent teams from stockpiling young players in their minors, when other teams would be willing to let them play in the major leagues. The draft typically takes place after the end of the season. There are a number of rules about which players are eligible for the Rule 5 draft described below. OOTP's implementation of the Rule 5 draft does not match the real-world version of the draft in every way. Here are the ways in which the OOTP Rule 5 differs from the real world:
In the real world, teams pay a fee for selecting a player. This fee does not exist in OOTP.
In the real world, a minor league phase of the Rule 5 exits. It does not exist in OOTP.
In the real world, there are rules under which players selected in the Rule 5 draft are offered back to their original teams. In OOTP, Rule 5 draft picks are never offered back to their original franchise. You simply have to obey the roster rules defined below.
Rule 5 Draft Roster Rules
There are a number of roster rules relating to Rule 5 drafts:
A team that wants to select a player in the Rule 5 draft must have at least one spot open on its secondary roster.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the selecting team's active roster or disabled list for the entire season.
A player who was drafted in the Rule 5 draft can be waived. If he is claimed, then the player must remain on the claiming team's active roster for the remainder of the season.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft can be traded. The team that receives the player must keep the player on its active roster for the remainder of the season.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend 90 days on the active roster. This rule prevents teams from picking players and then dumping them on the disabled list for an entire season to avoid using an active roster spot. This rule can extend into the following season if necessary.
Rule 5 Draft Eligibility
A player is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he meets the conditions listed below. Follow the links to learn more about some of the terms used below:
The player has at least three but fewer than six years of professional service time, and the player was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract.
The player is not on the team's secondary roster.
Note: Players who were age 18 or younger when they entered the league are eligible if they have at least four, but fewer than seven years of professional service time. In other words, young players get an extra year before they become eligible for the Rule 5 draft.
Another way of looking at this rule is this:
A player not on a team's secondary roster is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if the player was age 18 or younger when he first signed a contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed, OR if he was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.
The Rule 5 draft was designed to prevent teams from stockpiling young players in their minors, when other teams would be willing to let them play in the major leagues. The draft typically takes place after the end of the season. There are a number of rules about which players are eligible for the Rule 5 draft described below. OOTP's implementation of the Rule 5 draft does not match the real-world version of the draft in every way. Here are the ways in which the OOTP Rule 5 differs from the real world:
In the real world, teams pay a fee for selecting a player. This fee does not exist in OOTP.
In the real world, a minor league phase of the Rule 5 exits. It does not exist in OOTP.
In the real world, there are rules under which players selected in the Rule 5 draft are offered back to their original teams. In OOTP, Rule 5 draft picks are never offered back to their original franchise. You simply have to obey the roster rules defined below.
Rule 5 Draft Roster Rules
There are a number of roster rules relating to Rule 5 drafts:
A team that wants to select a player in the Rule 5 draft must have at least one spot open on its secondary roster.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the selecting team's active roster or disabled list for the entire season.
A player who was drafted in the Rule 5 draft can be waived. If he is claimed, then the player must remain on the claiming team's active roster for the remainder of the season.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft can be traded. The team that receives the player must keep the player on its active roster for the remainder of the season.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend 90 days on the active roster. This rule prevents teams from picking players and then dumping them on the disabled list for an entire season to avoid using an active roster spot. This rule can extend into the following season if necessary.
Rule 5 Draft Eligibility
A player is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he meets the conditions listed below. Follow the links to learn more about some of the terms used below:
The player has at least three but fewer than six years of professional service time, and the player was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract.
The player is not on the team's secondary roster.
Note: Players who were age 18 or younger when they entered the league are eligible if they have at least four, but fewer than seven years of professional service time. In other words, young players get an extra year before they become eligible for the Rule 5 draft.
Another way of looking at this rule is this:
A player not on a team's secondary roster is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if the player was age 18 or younger when he first signed a contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed, OR if he was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.
