When are AL Astros official?

[Goatrider]

Does anyone know the official date Astros are AL? We are wondering for a NL Only league, deciding on eligibility. If an Astro gets traded to a NL team this offseason, should keeper eligibility be extneded?

[americanleagueroto]

As far as getting traded to an NL team, it should not count towards keeper eligibility. I'd say as soon as the 2012 season ended, it was presumed all Astro players were no longer NL eligible. I am sure these players trade value during the 2012 season was very limited due to them leaving the NL after the 2012 season, so if they're traded now to a different NL team it should not be keeper eligible.

[Goatrider]

Close out my own question here. Contacted Astros business office. They said there is no "official date", but both they and MLB are currently operating as the Astros in the AL West.

[converge241]

With that call to the Astros, you should be all set to back up to anyone in your league but even without it I would say their time ended once the WS ended.

[jeffmerk]

Most NL only leagues that allow the stats of a player traded to the AL during the season to count also allow that player to be kept if he winds up back in the NL before draft day the following year. I've got Wilton Lopez in a NL only league and now that he's been traded to the Rockies, I can keep him if I wish.