MAJOR LEAGUE RULES 2021 THE OFFICIAL PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL RULES BOOK Office of the Commissioner of Baseball 245 Park Avenue New York, New York 10167 Copyright © 1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 The Commissioner of Baseball MAJOR LEAGUE RULES TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Definitions ........................................ 1 RULE 1—Reserve Lists .............................. 3 (a) Filing of Reserve Lists .......................... 3 (b) Maintenance of and Changes to Reserve Lists. .......... 4 (c) Effect of Placement on Reserve List ................. 5 RULE 2—Player Limits .............................. 5 (a) Reserved List Limits ............................ 5 (b) Active Lists .................................. 6 (c) Inactive Lists ................................. 11 (d) Limitations on Coaches, Player-Coaches and Player-Managers ............................. 35 RULE 3—Eligibility to Sign Contract, Contract Terms, and Contract Tenders ................................. 38 (a) Eligibility to Sign Major League or Minor League Contracts .................................. 38 (b) Uniform Contracts ............................. 46 (c) Contract Terms for First-Year Player Contracts ......... 47 (d) Acceptance .................................. 59 (e) Reporting and Filing of Contracts .................. 60 (f) Contracts in Violation ........................... 60 (g) Contacts and Tryouts ........................... 60 (h) Tender of Contract Renewals or Salary Addendums ...... 63 (i) Uniform Manager’s and Employee’s Contracts .......... 65 (j) Certain Payments Forbidden ...................... 65 (k) Tampering ................................... 66 i Page RULE 4—First-Year Player Draft ....................... 66 (a) Players Subject ................................ 66 (b) Selection Meeting .............................. 67 (c) Order of Selection ............................. 68 (d) Effect of Selection on Player ...................... 70 (e) Negotiation Rights ............................. 71 (f) Closed Period ................................ 72 (g) Effect on Player Limits .......................... 72 (h) If Selected Player Does Not Sign ................... 72 (i) If Player Is Not Selected ......................... 72 (j) Medical Information ............................ 72 (k) Forfeited Draft Lottery and Competitive Balance Selections .................................. 79 (l) Interpretation ................................ 82 RULE 5—Annual Selection of Players .................... 82 (a) Meetings .................................... 82 (b) Method and Priority of Selections .................. 82 (c) Players Subject to Selection ....................... 83 (d) Consideration, Payment, and Responsibility ........... 85 (e) Player-Managers .............................. 85 (f) Covering Up ................................. 85 (g) Selected Players ............................... 85 (h) Draft-Excluded Players .......................... 88 RULE 6—Assignment of Player Contracts ................. 88 (a) Notice to Player ............................... 88 (b) Effective Date ................................ 88 (c) Obligations of Assignor and Assignee Clubs ........... 89 (d) Closed Periods ................................ 90 (e) Consent to Assignment .......................... 91 (f) Assignment Agreements ......................... 91 ii Page (g) Injury Rehabilitation ............................ 94 RULE 7—Optional Agreements ......................... 96 (a) Definition ................................... 96 (b) Limitations on Recall ........................... 97 (c) Limitations on Optional Assignments ................ 99 (d) Number .................................... 100 (e) Closed Period ................................ 101 (f) Salary Arrears ................................ 102 (g) Salary on Option or Recall ........................ 102 (h) Salary Between Season Openings ................... 102 (i) Player Loans ................................. 102 (j) Reacquiring Player ............................. 102 RULE 8—Major League Waivers ........................ 104 (a) Definitions .................................. 104 (b) The Procedures for Obtaining Waivers ............... 105 (c) Waiver Claims and Awarding of Contracts ............ 109 (d) Restrictions on Waiver Requests .................... 111 (e) Effect on Waivers of Transfer of Optional Assignment .... 113 (f) Penalties .................................... 113 (g) Player Limit .................................. 113 RULE 9—Termination of Player-Club Relation .............. 114 (a) Termination of Player-Club Relation ................. 114 (b) Major League Unconditional Release ................ 114 (c) Minor League Free Agency ....................... 116 RULE 10—Bulletins ................................. 118 RULE 11—Player Salaries ............................. 118 (a) First-Year Player .............................. 118 (b) Part-Season Salary ............................. 118 (c) Delay in Reporting ............................. 119 iii Page (d) Minimum Salary .............................. 119 (e) Renewal of Contract ............................ 119 RULE 12—Playing Otherwise Than for Club ................ 119 (a) Winter Leagues ............................... 119 (b) Exhibition Games .............................. 119 (c) Penalty..................................... 120 (d) All-Star Game ................................ 120 (e) Hall of Fame Game ............................ 120 (f) Foreign Leagues ............................... 121 RULE 13—Claim Presentation ......................... 121 (a) Discipline ................................... 121 (b) Disputes .................................... 121 (c) Time for Presentation ........................... 121 RULE 14—Suspended Personnel ........................ 121 (a) Discipline ................................... 121 (b) Appeals ..................................... 122 (c) Effect ...................................... 122 RULE 15—Umpires ................................. 122 (a) Staffing ..................................... 122 (b) Duties ...................................... 122 (c) Control of Employment ......................... 122 (d) Umpire Claims ................................ 123 (e) Umpires Acting as Scouts ........................ 123 RULE 16—Official Scorers ............................ 123 (a) Appointment ................................. 123 (b) Responsibilities ............................... 123 (c) Review ..................................... 123 (d) Report ..................................... 123 (e) Fees....................................... 124 iv Page (f) Discipline ................................... 124 RULE 17—Uniform Playing Rules ....................... 124 (a) Official Baseball Rules ........................... 124 (b) Playing Rules Committee ......................... 125 (c) Duties of Playing Rules Committee ................. 125 (d) Official Scoring Rules Committee ................... 126 (e) Duties of Official Scoring Rules Committee ............ 126 (f) Copyright and Publication ........................ 126 RULE 18—Schedules ................................ 126 (a) Major Leagues ................................ 126 (b) Minor Leagues ................................ 127 RULE 19—Major League Disaster Plan ................... 127 (a) Event Qualifying as a Disaster ..................... 127 (b) Procedures ................................... 127 (c) Insurance ................................... 131 RULE 20—Conflicting Interests ......................... 131 (a) Ownership and Financial Interests .................. 131 (b) Loans to and Relationships with Players .............. 132 (c) Loans to Clubs and Other Individuals ................ 133 (d) League Officials ............................... 133 (e) Within Club .................................. 133 (f) Winter Leagues ............................... 134 (g) Application to Major League Clubs ................. 134 (h) Information to Commissioner ..................... 134 RULE 21—Misconduct ............................... 135 (a) Misconduct in Playing Baseball .................... 135 (b) Gift for Defeating Competing Club ................. 135 (c) Gifts to Umpires .............................. 135 (d) Gambling ................................... 136 v Page (e) Violence or Misconduct ......................... 136 (f) Other Misconduct ............................. 136 (g) No Discrimination ............................. 137 (h) Rule to Be Kept Posted .......................... 137 RULE 22—Circuits ................................. 137 (a) Conditions to Relocation to Another Club’s Territory ..... 137 (b) Number of Clubs .............................. 138 (c) Notice ...................................... 138 (d) Definition ................................... 138 RULE 23—Gate Receipts ............................. 138 (a) Paid Attendance ............................... 138 (b) Assessment of Paid Attendance Receipts .............. 138 (c) Establishing Admissions total ..................... 139 (d) Free Admissions ............................... 139 RULE 24—Reserved ................................. 140 RULE 25—Finances ................................. 140 (a) Checks ..................................... 140 (b) Audit ...................................... 140 (c) Budget ..................................... 140 (d) Funds ...................................... 140 RULE 26—Major and