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Melville wrote: ↑23 Aug 2025 09:04 am

therzog29 wrote: ↑22 Aug 2025 13:29 pm I keep seeing post after post complaining about the Cards not bringing up Weatherholt for a cup of coffee this year. I don’t think many of you have any understanding of the reasons why he isn’t being brought up. He obviously has done everything to prove that he deserves an opportunity, but Mo and or Bloom are doing the smart thing here. (I am no fan of Mo)

Currently he isn’t on the 40 man roster, and because of his status he isn’t eligible for the rule 5 draft and doesn’t need to be protected. If he is brought up to the majors, he will have to be added to the 40 man which will take another spot that the cards could use to protect another player from being picked off their roster through the rule 5 draft.

Also by not starting his service time until opening day they can actually push back his first year of arbitration until 2029. Saving the cards some payroll down the line. If they delay his debut until mid April, which I think they will, he won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2030 and pushes his free agency back an additional year. After 2032 season.

My money is on seeing JJ sometime in mid April of 2026.

I think this would be the smartest move the front office could make.

Everyone understands.
Some just don't like it.
And so they whine.

ClassicO wrote: ↑23 Aug 2025 14:13 pm Where are people getting the information that JJ loses a year of service if he comes up this year and doesn’t exceed the 45 days (now not possible) or 130 ABs (he won’t exceed that either)?

Rule
A player is deemed to have reached "one year" of Major League service upon accruing 172 days in a given year. Upon reaching six years of Major League service, a player becomes eligible for free agency at the end of that season (unless he has already signed a contract extension that covers one or more of his free-agent seasons).

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑23 Aug 2025 18:08 pm

ClassicO wrote: ↑23 Aug 2025 14:13 pm Where are people getting the information that JJ loses a year of service if he comes up this year and doesn’t exceed the 45 days (now not possible) or 130 ABs (he won’t exceed that either)?

Rule
A player is deemed to have reached "one year" of Major League service upon accruing 172 days in a given year. Upon reaching six years of Major League service, a player becomes eligible for free agency at the end of that season (unless he has already signed a contract extension that covers one or more of his free-agent seasons).

If he's any good, he will already have a contract long before FA, making this moot.

Moreover, the arb rules will change in 2027 with the new CBA. The PA and the league hate these service time games so trying to save 2 weeks in april etc will become meaningless. No other sport has to deal with this (bleep).