Service time question

mcmurder · 10-24-2013, 04:56 AM

I am having a bit of confusion about ML service time and arbitration eligibility. Does the time simply keep adding up so that once someone hits 173 days on an active roster they tick over to 1 year, 1 day? Or is it counted by individual years in which they reached the appropriate amount of time on the roster?

I've just finished my first season with Oakland and it says Josh Reddick has 3 years, 50 days service time making him eligible for arbitration. However in reality he isn't eligible this year and Baseball Reference has him listed with 2 years, 50 days service time. I thought that may just have been an error in the stats but it seems like all my players have exactly one year more service time in the game than they do on Baseball Reference. The only thing I can think of is that in game I'm in the offseason but in reality the playoffs are still going so maybe it hasn't "ticked over" yet or something.

thanks for any help

olivertheorem · 10-24-2013, 10:32 PM

Don't know about any particular example, but my guess would be that, since it takes 173 days to account for a service year, that day 174 would be represented as 1 year, 1 day. This would be due to a "year" in this case being defined as 365 days.

It could also be that the days are only counted from Opening Day (or ST start) to the end of the playoffs, and once day 173 hits it counts it as a year and stops counting further until the next Opening Day.

And now I hope someone else comes along and gives a definitive answer.

PhilledUp · 10-25-2013, 09:28 AM

The service time on baseball reference is accurate from January 2013. He has 3 years 50 days and will be eligible for arbitration this offseason.

The service time in OOTP is kept on a running basis.

Additionally, a player can only earn 1 year of service time in a season. It is set at 172 days, but seasons typically are 183 days long. So once the player gets past 172 days, he stops accumulating service time until the next season.

mcmurder · 10-25-2013, 09:34 PM

Thank you for the info, that clears up everything. Seems I was wrong that Reddick isn't eligible this year, sorry for the confusion... I just got a bit of a shock in my game when he was awarded $5.5 million

RchW · 10-25-2013, 10:05 PM

MLB Trade Rumors is excellent for keeping up to date on player service time. They are going through each teams arb eligible players right now.

MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

10-24-2013, 04:56 AM	#1
mcmurder Bat Boy Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 3	Service time question I am having a bit of confusion about ML service time and arbitration eligibility. Does the time simply keep adding up so that once someone hits 173 days on an active roster they tick over to 1 year, 1 day? Or is it counted by individual years in which they reached the appropriate amount of time on the roster? I've just finished my first season with Oakland and it says Josh Reddick has 3 years, 50 days service time making him eligible for arbitration. However in reality he isn't eligible this year and Baseball Reference has him listed with 2 years, 50 days service time. I thought that may just have been an error in the stats but it seems like all my players have exactly one year more service time in the game than they do on Baseball Reference. The only thing I can think of is that in game I'm in the offseason but in reality the playoffs are still going so maybe it hasn't "ticked over" yet or something. thanks for any help

10-25-2013, 09:34 PM	#4
mcmurder Bat Boy Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 3	Thank you for the info, that clears up everything. Seems I was wrong that Reddick isn't eligible this year, sorry for the confusion... I just got a bit of a shock in my game when he was awarded $5.5 million Last edited by mcmurder; 10-25-2013 at 09:35 PM.

10-25-2013, 10:05 PM	#5
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	MLB Trade Rumors is excellent for keeping up to date on player service time. They are going through each teams arb eligible players right now. MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

10-24-2013, 10:32 PM	#2
olivertheorem All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,919	Don't know about any particular example, but my guess would be that, since it takes 173 days to account for a service year, that day 174 would be represented as 1 year, 1 day. This would be due to a "year" in this case being defined as 365 days. It could also be that the days are only counted from Opening Day (or ST start) to the end of the playoffs, and once day 173 hits it counts it as a year and stops counting further until the next Opening Day. And now I hope someone else comes along and gives a definitive answer.

10-25-2013, 09:28 AM	#3
PhilledUp Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 261	The service time on baseball reference is accurate from January 2013. He has 3 years 50 days and will be eligible for arbitration this offseason. The service time in OOTP is kept on a running basis. Additionally, a player can only earn 1 year of service time in a season. It is set at 172 days, but seasons typically are 183 days long. So once the player gets past 172 days, he stops accumulating service time until the next season.