Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays was called up in mid-September and is today’s hot story in baseball, having pitched 8 shut out innings against Texas in the first game of the ALDS. I thought that a player had to be on a team’s major league roster by August 31st to be eligible for the playoffs. Obviously I’m wrong, since he was in there pitching yesterday. So did they change the eligibility rules (probably 10 years ago and I just noticed) or was there some exception by which Moore squeezed onto the post-season roster?
I imagine he had been on the 40-man roster, and took the place of someone on the 60-day DL to be in the playoffs.
Edit: Looks like he took Alex Cobb’s spot.
I’ve heard this is sometimes called the “K-Rod Rule”, after the first memorable player to be used this way, Francisco Rodriguez for the Angels in 2002.
The rules for postseason eligibility are shockingly confusing (most MLB roster rules are) and, unfortunately, like most roster rules MLB doesn’t formally publicize them in a coherent manner, the way they do the official game rules. But the upshot is this:
- Anyone on the 25-man roster on August 31, and has continuously been on the team’s roster since then, is eligible.
- Anyone who was on the 25-man roster prior to August 31 but was on the disabled or bereavement list, or suspended, is eligible.
- If an eligible player from 1. or 2. is injured, anyone in the employ of the organization can be summoned to replace them provided that person plays the same position as the player they are replacing. If that player is not on the 40-man roster they must be added to it.
- The 25-man playoff roster of eligible players must be set prior to each round; you can change it between rounds. Injury replacements can take place during a round.
It’s under #3 that Moore was eligible. He was already on the 40-man, and replaced Alex Cobb.
Thanks everybody, and especially RickJay.