Rule 29 covers what will happen in the unfortunate eventuality of a Chapecoense-like incident happening to a major-league team. It’s not limited to an accident, however, as an “epidemic illness or other common event” could also trigger it. It does require a certain number of players from the same team to suffer “death, dismemberment or permanent disability from playing professional baseball”: this number is set at five if the team is in active competition, or six during their off-season. It starts by saying MLB can set a mourning period, and will also decide, in consultation with the club, whether the team is able to complete their season.

It then describes the subsequent “Restocking Draft”, also known as a “Rule 29 draft”. In this, the unaffected teams submit a list of five players, who were on their active roster at the time of the accident (or as determined by the commissioner, for example, in the “epidemic illness” situation). But you can’t get away with listing five relievers. The players concerned “shall include one pitcher, one catcher, one outfielder, one infielder and a fifth player of any position.” These quotas may be adjusted by the commissioner, depending on those played by those lost from the affected club. There are also limits on the number of players with less than 60 days service time.

Once the lists have been submitted, the team affected gets to make its choices. They are “entitled to select as many players as it lost in the occurrence, provided that the Disabled Club may select no more than one player from each of the other Major League Clubs.” These choices are subject to passing a physical, and if so, the players then become part of their roster. MLB may subsequently also award them additional relief, “including, for example, the awarding of additional selections in subsequent Rule 4 or Rule 5 drafts, priority on waiver claims for a set period of time and the modification of the deadline for naming a post-season roster.”

They’ll sign some marquee free agents, draft 1/1 and be competitive next year.

I'm thinking Juan Soto and Shadduer Sanders