Someone on the internet is wrong ...

[VirtualBob]

and I can't help myself.

• INF Matt Downs(notes) got the call from the Astros to come to the big leagues on Tuesday, but he will have to wait until Saturday before he can play. Downs was claimed off waivers from San Francisco on Aug. 22, and players claimed off waivers must officially stay in the minor leagues for 10 days.

<emphasis mine>

I pasted this from the Yahoo Astros team report, but it has shown up many places.  Just think about this for a minute.  *Of course* a team can claim someone off waivers and keep them on the 25-man roster right from the start.  This happens all the time and to claim otherwise is inexcusable for any professional journalist.  (Are you listening @brianmctaggert ??)

The actual rule has nothing to do with waiver claims and everything to do with option assignments.  When Downs was claimed off waivers, he was then optioned to AAA.  Any player (whether claimed off waivers or not) who is given an option assignment to the minors must stay there 10 days before being recalled.  This rule has been on the books for a *long* time and is designed to prevent abuses of the 25-man roster limit.  (A rookie starter could be optioned back to AAA for 3 days at a time making room for an extra reliever, for instance.)  There is an injury exception in that the optioned player can be recalled to replace a player who is sent to the DL. 

So why don't people who are *paid* to "report" on baseball know how these rules work?  How hard is it to get a copy of the rules and read them??  I really don't get it.

[austro]

You mean Manny isn't spending 10 days in the White Sox farm system?

[MusicMan]

You mean Manny isn't spending 10 days in the White Sox farm system?

en espanol, por favor

[Noe]

You're correct.  The other rule is on releasing a player through waivers.  The club has ten days to decide what to do with said player:

1. Release outright (player becomes a free agent)
2. Trade him
3. Assign them to the minors (if not claimed and if the player accept the assignment).

[VirtualBob]

You're correct.  The other rule is on releasing a player through waivers.  The club has ten days to decide what to do with said player:

1. Release outright (player becomes a free agent)
2. Trade him
3. Assign them to the minors (if not claimed and if the player accept the assignment).

Yes ... but that only applies when nobody claims said player.  And in the case of #3 above, the player is outrighted to the minors (having already been waived off the 40-man roster), and would need to be "purchased" back onto the 40-man roster to be called up.  I do not recall whether the 10-day waiting period applies in this case, but I doubt it. 

Note: I am not a professional journalist and do not play one on TV.  If either were the case, i would go to the trouble of looking up the rule rather than guessing.

[Reuben]

and I can't help myself.
 <emphasis mine>

I pasted this from the Yahoo Astros team report, but it has shown up many places.  Just think about this for a minute.  *Of course* a team can claim someone off waivers and keep them on the 25-man roster right from the start.  This happens all the time and to claim otherwise is inexcusable for any professional journalist.  (Are you listening @brianmctaggert ??)

The actual rule has nothing to do with waiver claims and everything to do with option assignments.  When Downs was claimed off waivers, he was then optioned to AAA.  Any player (whether claimed off waivers or not) who is given an option assignment to the minors must stay there 10 days before being recalled.  This rule has been on the books for a *long* time and is designed to prevent abuses of the 25-man roster limit.  (A rookie starter could be optioned back to AAA for 3 days at a time making room for an extra reliever, for instance.)  There is an injury exception in that the optioned player can be recalled to replace a player who is sent to the DL. 

So why don't people who are *paid* to "report" on baseball know how these rules work?  How hard is it to get a copy of the rules and read them??  I really don't get it.

I was puzzled by that too. Good catch.