A question about Glossary for player contracts

[Ryuta Mochizuki]

A question about Glossary for player contracts:

What does the abbreviation “opt. to rec. canc.” mean?

I think 3 possible answers below:

#1 optional assignment cancelled and outrighted to minors

#2 recalled (not to report) and outrighted to minors

#3 other (both #1 and #2 are wrong)

For example, John Burkett (ScanID:1099029066) was “opt. to Phoenix 3/21/88”, then “opt. to rec. canc. 9/6/88”, and then “Drafted by San Francisco 11/10/88”.

If the answer #1 is correct, his minor league option year was used? or not used?

[Steven Gietschier]

As the curator of the cards while I worked for TSN from 1986 to 2008, I wish I could respond with certainty to this query,  but I'm afraid I can't. Some of these abbreviations, even if they had been clear to me back then, are no longer so obvious. In addition, I am no expert on the rules by which players' contracts could be transferred and how those rules changed, sometimes drastically, over time. 

This is an aside but is perhaps relevant to some: most of the work we did with the cards involved constructing or reconstructing a player's record, that is, his playing stats, beginning with the cards and then moving to the annual baseball guides for the years in question. To me, the Burkett card indicates that Burkett played with Phoenix for the entire season in '88 and then was shipped to San Francisco. I'm sorry I can't be more enlightening.

[Ryuta Mochizuki]

Thank you, Mr.Gietschier.

I think this database is the “only” resource about older roster transactions.

As I know, “StatsPass” does not cover seasons before 1993, and “Major League Year and Notebook” covers only 1990-1997 seasons.

I wish someone (who is familiar with roster rules) to comment…

2019年12月17日火曜日 3時03分34秒 UTC+9 Steven Gietschier:

[F. X. Flinn]

I will try to locate a subject matter expert on roster and contract rules within SABR and see if I can get them to join this forum to answer your question and similar ones that come along.