how do teams decide who the players to be named are?

Question

for example in the cardinals trade with the jays they could decide to have 3 players to be named later or cash if they took the players when would they get them and how do they decide who they are

a_man_could_stand · Accepted Answer

There is not set rule, but in general each team will agree on a list of potential players to be named later (PTBNLs) prior to the actual trade.  They then have 6 months to complete the deal.

The criteria is pretty much up to the teams, but the most common are "need based" and "performance based."

A "need based" PTBNL fills a particular need on that team.  For example:  My list of PTNLs to get from you includes a 1B and a C.  At the end of the season my back-up catcher leaves via free agency so I pick your C to be my PTBNL to fill that opening.

A "performance based" PTBNL is selected based on the performance of the key guy in the trade.  For example:  I get a big bat from you and your list of PTBNLs includes a top prospect and a mediocre prospect.  We might agree ahead of time that, if the big bat I get from you hits .300 down the stretch and belts 15 HR, you automatically get my top prospect as the PTBNL.  If he hits .200 and turns our to be a bust, you get my mediocre prospect.

Finally, if no agreement can be made in the six-month window, the player traded is returned to his original team.  This has led to the amusing cases of Harry Chiti in 1962 and John McDonald in 2005 who were returned to their teams as the PTBNL...in other words, they were traded for themselves!

Anonymous · Answer

Whoever has pissed off the GM the most.

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how do teams decide who the players to be named are?

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