The Oakland A’s starting rotation has been a hot topic throughout the offseason. It’s somehow too thin and too full all at once — it lacks a reliable ace at the top and is short on proven arms in general, but it’s packed with so many worthwhile lotto tickets that it figures to be difficult fitting everyone in.
One of the biggest conundrums has centered around options status. Every player begins his time on the 40-man roster with three option years, in which he’s allowed to be sent freely down to the minor leagues. When those three years are used up the player is considered to be out of minor league options, and for the rest of his career in order to be sent down he must first be put through waivers where another team can claim him.