Opening Day is Thursday, March 30th but most big league rosters are finalized by noon EST on Saturday, March 25th. (though those moves may not be reported by their respective clubs until later in the week)
That date is just 3 weeks from today!
The reasoning is because of a clause in the MLB/MLBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement:
It states: that if an Article XX-B MLB free-agent signs a minor league contract before noon on March 20th, 2023, he must then be informed no later than noon on March 25th, 2023 as to whether or not his contract will be selected for placement on the Opening Day 26-man roster or MLB 60-day Injured List.
If the club does not agree in writing to add the player to its Opening Day 26-man roster or MLB Injured List at that time, it must either grant the player his immediate unconditional release upon the players request or agree to pay the player a retention bonus of $100,000 to play in the minor leagues.
Players paid the retention bonus can once again request to be granted their unconditional release on June 1st, 2023 if they are not added to the 26-man roster or MLB Injured List by then.
Article XX-B MLB Free agents are players who have 6+ years of service, finished the 2022 season on an active MLB roster or IL, and whom are in a major league Spring Camp on a minor league contract.
These decisions usually finalize a roster (though late injuries in the final week can alter those decisions).
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Below are this year's (32) Article XX-B free-agents in spring camps (keep in mind the list could continue to grow over the next two weeks):
Signing Team - Pos - Name - Service Time
ATL - RP - Jesse Chavez - 12.038
ATL - UT - Ehire Adrianza - 8.131
ATL - OF - Kevin Pillar - 8.072
CHW - OF - Billy Hamilton - 8.087
CHW - IF - Hanser Alberto - 6.085
CIN - C - Austin Romine - 8.148
CIN - SP - Chase Anderson - 7.161
CIN - RP - Daniel Norris - 7.063
CIN - RP - Hunter Strickland - 7.033
CIN - UT - Chad Pinder - 6.047
DET - UT - César Hernández - 8.154
DET - RP - Trevor Rosenthal - 8.078
KCR - OF - Jackie Bradley Jr. - 8.150
KCR - IF - Matt Duffy - 7.059
LAA - RP - Chris Devenski - 6.036
LAD - OF - Jason Heyward - 13.000
MIL - OF - Tyler Naquin - 6.033
MIN - SP - Aaron Sanchez - 6.113
NYM - RP - Tommy Hunter - 12.156
PIT - C - Kevin Plawecki - 6.167
SDP - IF - Rougned Odor - 8.121
SDP - RP - Craig Stammen - 11.160
SFG - C - Roberto Pérez - 8.083
SFG - SP - Joe Ross - 6.018
TBR - UT - Charlie Culberson - 7.051
TBR - OF - Ben Gamel - 6.029
TEX - RP - Ian Kennedy - 13.124
TEX - SP - Danny Duffy - 11.085
TEX - C - Sandy Leon - 8.043
WSN - RP - Sean Doolittle - 10.122
WSN - RP - Alex Colomé - 8.118
WSN - SP - Chad Kuhl - 6.079
Most of the players on this list will make more than league minimum if their contracts are purchased, most will also have incentive bonuses in their contracts. Kevin Pillar for example will make $3,000,000 in 2023 if he makes the Braves Opening Day roster.
Keep in mind, these aren't the only players on minor league contracts who have opt out dates, most players with 3.000+ years of service in camps who finished the season last year on a big league roster also have opt out dates written into their contracts. In addition some players with 6+ years of service in camps who didn't finish the season last year on a big league roster also have opt out dates written into their contracts.
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