21 Years Ago, K-Rod And The Angels Clarified Postseason Eligibility Rules
Image credit: Francisco Rodriguez (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
In 21st century baseball lore, the Francisco Rodriguez rule falls somewhere in the vicinity of the Buster Posey rule or the Chase Utley rule in terms of infamy.
The Francisco Rodriguez rule, the colloquial term used to describe MLB’s postseason roster eligibility loophole, is unforgettable shorthand for K-Rod’s unforgettable 2002 postseason run.
The old waiver trade deadline of Aug. 31 used to serve as the cutoff point for postseason roster eligibility. Any player on the active roster as of that date was eligible to suit up in October.
But in 2002, K-Rod and the Angels made the baseball world aware of one major quirk in this minor rule. It wasn’t merely 25-man roster players who were postseason eligible. It was any player on the 40-man roster at the end of the day on Aug. 31.
The Angels called up Rodriguez on Sept. 15, 2002, after the 20-year-old righthander had spent the seazon as a reliever at Double-A and Triple-A, striking out 120 in 83.1 innings over 50 appearances.
Rodriguez made five scoreless September appearances for Anaheim, striking out 13 in 5.2 innings. Naturally, the AL wild card-winning Angels wanted to add K-Rod to their postseason roster, but they were out of luck because he wasn’t on the active roster as of Aug. 31.
Or were they?
The Angels were able to designate Rodriguez, who was a member of the Angels’ 40-man roster as of Aug. 31, as an injury replacement for righthander Steve Green, who had been on the 60-day injured list all season.
While the waiver trade deadline died in 2019, the Aug. 31 deadline survives as the final roster checkpoint for postseason roster eligibility. But the rules were loosened in 2014 to allow any player in the organization as of Aug. 31 to be postseason eligible.
The postseason eligibility rule now reads like this:
“A player . . . can still be added to a team’s roster in the postseason via petition to the commissioner’s office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation.”
In the years since this tweak, a number of prospects have made their MLB debuts in the postseason despite not being 40-man roster players until that point: Adalberto Mondesi in 2015 and Alex Kirilloff, Shane McClanahan and Ryan Weathers in 2020.
But back in 2002, even seeing a September debut in October was impossible. The case of K-Rod and the Angels helped illuminate and clarify the postseason eligibility rules.
Rodriguez emerged as a star during the 2002 postseason, striking out 28 in 17.2 innings and notching five wins in 11 appearances as the Angels defeated the Yankees, Twins and Giants to win the World Series.
Rodriguez had conquered the baseball world in October, but he reported to spring training in February still a rookie. He entered 2003 ranked as the Angels’ No. 1 prospect.
What Does It Mean For 2023?
• The post-2014 postseason eligibility rule means that D-backs shortstop Jordan Lawlar, called up on Sept. 6, would be eligible for the postseason roster, provided that (1) Arizona wins an NL wild card, and (2) it has a position player who has served his minimum stint on the IL who can be subbed out for Lawlar.
• The scenario above would apply to any September callup added to the 40-man roster, provided that he was in the organization as of Aug. 31.
• Were the Guardians to make up the six games on the Twins and win the AL Central, then Aug. 31 waiver pickups Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore would be eligible for Cleveland’s postseason roster.
• D-backs waiver claim Seby Zavala is an example of a player who would be ineligible for the postseason roster. Arizona claimed the 30-year-old catcher on Sept. 6, meaning he was not a member of the organization on the Aug. 31 cutoff date.
