z - I was also referencing the wholesale recall to the Phils. For what it's worth, Gilbert and Stevenson were not optioned to the Ironpigs, but to the FCL, and they haven't been recalled. I had assumed that's because they're not yet eligible for recall (but see below). As you noted, this is unimportant.
I checked - Nick Nelson will be a minor league free agent this winter (beginning five days after the end of the World Series) if he's not on the 40-man roster, so yeah, they wouldn't be worried about him not clearing waivers this winter.
Recall of players on optional assignment.
Per Major League Rule 7(a), recall of players on optional assignment "...must be exercised on or before the day following the last day of the Major League championship season."
Per Rule 7(b), "Except as required by Rule 7(a), a Major League Club may not recall to the Active Roster a player who is on optional assignment until 10 days of the championship season have elapsed for a position player or 15 days have elapsed for a pitcher from the date of the optional assignment..."
The implication of these two clauses would seem to be that Gilbert and Stevenson should have been recalled at the same time as the players from AAA, even though that has not been reported to be the case. "Except as required by Rule 7(a)" implies that "must be exercised on or before the day following the las day of the...season" overrules the 10/15 day limitation. But unless it's just gone undocumented, that doesn't seem to be what has happened.
I suspect nobody much cares, because we're talking about Tyler Gilbert and Cal Stevenson. If there were a player in this situation that a club in the post-season actually cared about, I would guess that an argument to the MLB front office would result in the recall being allowed.
[Additional comment: It's possible - depending on who is responsible for the process of reporting transactions to the web people - that recall of Gilbert and Stevenson is just "in the mail" as it were. I have to note that it's typical for transactions relating to rosters in Clearwater - whether FSL or FCL - to lag reporting of transactions relating to our other minor league rosters. I suspect this has something to do with the individuals in the Clearwater offices responsible for reporting these transactions. It wouldn't be particularly unusual for these recalls to suddenly appear, dated 10/1, either later today or tomorrow. Happens all the time with transactions out of Clearwater.]
