Picking up MiLB-eligible players

[Lunatic Fringe]

We discussed this before, but never came up with anything final. I'd like to finalize something by the end of the day today. I don't see a problem with adding minor league-eligible players through free agency once the draft is over, but I would like a way to limit who and how many. I don't think we'll do a waiver period, but I like the idea of restricting pick-ups only to guys you can find on ESPN. Let know if you have any more ideas.

[Deleted]

It would be interesting to limit the number of free-agent MiLB signings that can be kept from year to year also. But I like where this is headed.

[Nuke LaLoosh Express]

I think this is ok by me BUT, I do think there should be a waiver period, that way it'll avoid teams that don't have their 8 MiLB keepers from eating up all the available players. Otherwise next year's MiLB draft is almost unnecessary.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Well, once we've reach the keeper deadline on December 31, you wouldn't be able to pick anyone up anyway. That's built into the system already. I'm just talking about from the end of the MiLB draft to the keeper deadline. All other MiLB players will be thrown back into the draft pool at the keeper deadline. Not to mention MLB teams draft about 450 amateur players a year, so the there will always be guys to draft.

[Lunatic Fringe]

We could say free-agent pick-ups will be limited to players starting the year at AA or higher.

Or would could limit the number of MiLB free agent pickups to 6 (or so) per team.

However we do it, we're still only keeping a max of 8 MiLB-eligible players at the end of the year, but what we don't need is some douchebag picking up 20 guys from the Sally League and holding onto them until the keeper deadline.

[Deleted]

Hey hey, back off of the Sally League - the Fightin' Sallies!

[Deleted]

Allow owners to keep a maximum of eight from one season to the next, but also limit the number one can have on a single-season roster - for example, 12. That gives enough leeway that owners can pick and choose their keepers even as some of them get called up to the bigs and never sent back down. Good thinkin'.

Proportionately, do you think owners should be able to keep up to eight regardless of how they are assembled, or do you put more emphasis on holding onto those talents acquired in the MiLB draft? And what of those for whom the owners traded? Are they to be automatic keepers as well?

[Lunatic Fringe]

Okay, here's my official proposal. Once the MiLB draft is done, you can pick up a total of 6 Minor League free agents, no matter which level they play. If you go beyond that, you have to drop someone to do it. So:

This year, we started with 5, drafted 5, and signed 6. That's 16 per team, for a total of 256. We'll each keep 8, for a max of 128 MiLB-eligible players kept for 2009.

How does that sound?

[Deleted]

I'm fine with that.

[Lunatic Fringe]

If we limit the number of MiLB players that can be picked over the course of the season, then there should be no need to restrict which MiLB players can be kept. The way I see it, if a guy promotes 5 MiLB players to his MLB roster, replaces them with 5 MiLB free-agents, then ends up keeping all 10, there will be better MLB players in the draft pool in '09, and we will be raising the salary cap at least a little in the off-season.

[Deleted]

Word.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Waivers will be a little hard to control, since everyone will be a FA on ESPN. What if we say that MiLB players cannot be picked up until 8:00 the day AFTER the MiLB draft ends. That way, everyone is aware that the draft has ended and which players are still available.

[Rusty Trombones - Jackson]

admin said:

Waivers will be a little hard to control, since everyone will be a FA on ESPN. What if we say that MiLB players cannot be picked up until 8:00 the day AFTER the MiLB draft ends. That way, everyone is aware that the draft has ended and which players are still available.

I think that right at 8:00, there will be a flood of adds for MiLB players, and there will be a ton of confusion.

We should have a second supplemental draft of 5 rounds for the free agent MiLB players. It could start at 8, and every owner has 1 hour to make a pick. Still cap the number of MiLB players at 16 per team, and those who want to participate can, and those that don't want more players or already have 16 can drop MiLB players to pick new ones or get skipped. I think that's the fairest way to do it, otherwise guys will have a list of 5 players they will submit right at 8:00, and several teams will put in claims for the same guys, how will we determine who gets who?

[varsity18]

what would be the draft order?

[Lunatic Fringe]

I thought about everyone trying to pick up a list of guys right at 8, but having another draft sucks. I don't want to do that. Maybe we'll limit the picks to one per person per hour, or 6 hours, or 1 per day.........something like that.

[Ninja Warriors (JB)]

I think you could do one Milb player per day. That would give everybody a chance to pick up someone. It would be first come first serve but that is how it will be once the season starts so it isn't that big of a deal.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Is it really this important? I'm thinking about picking up relief pitchers and shit. I could care less if you guys want to pick up 6 rookie league players. You won't get to keep them all anyway. I'm looking at guys who aren't necessarily top-flight talent but will be able to help me now. Are we really going to have a mad-dash for teenage Dominicans and kids fresh out high-school?

[Rusty Trombones - Jackson]

admin said:

Is it really this important? I'm thinking about picking up relief pitchers and shit. I could care less if you guys want to pick up 6 rookie league players. You won't get to keep them all anyway. I'm looking at guys who aren't necessarily top-flight talent but will be able to help me now. Are we really going to have a mad-dash for teenage Dominicans and kids fresh out high-school?

I really think so.

Right now I only got 4 MiLB guys I'm excited about and 1 pick left in the 5th round, I would love to get 5-6 more young kids for my MiLB team at least, so I could have a better pool to pick my 8 from, and i know i'm not the only one in that situation.

I like the 1 per day thing, that isn't bad. I don't think another draft is really that big a deal. People who aren't into it don't need to participate.

[varsity18]

I have a lot of guys on my radar.

[Deleted]

Oooooof course you do.

[varsity18]

Bobbys gonna be mad when my 8 free agent Milb keepers are better then the ones he worked for.

[pkyankfan6969]

gardneja said:

admin said:

Is it really this important? I'm thinking about picking up relief pitchers and shit. I could care less if you guys want to pick up 6 rookie league players. You won't get to keep them all anyway. I'm looking at guys who aren't necessarily top-flight talent but will be able to help me now. Are we really going to have a mad-dash for teenage Dominicans and kids fresh out high-school?

I really think so.

Right now I only got 4 MiLB guys I'm excited about and 1 pick left in the 5th round, I would love to get 5-6 more young kids for my MiLB team at least, so I could have a better pool to pick my 8 from, and i know i'm not the only one in that situation.

I like the 1 per day thing, that isn't bad. I don't think another draft is really that big a deal. People who aren't into it don't need to participate.

Yea if I was able to I would pick up a bunch right at the deadline... I really like the 1 per day thing...

[Rusty Trombones - Jackson]

pkyankfan6969 said:

gardneja said:

I really think so.

Right now I only got 4 MiLB guys I'm excited about and 1 pick left in the 5th round, I would love to get 5-6 more young kids for my MiLB team at least, so I could have a better pool to pick my 8 from, and i know i'm not the only one in that situation.

I like the 1 per day thing, that isn't bad. I don't think another draft is really that big a deal. People who aren't into it don't need to participate.

Yea if I was able to I would pick up a bunch right at the deadline... I really like the 1 per day thing...

Yeah we gotta figure something out or it will be a clusterfuck.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Alright, one MiLB free agent signing per 24 hour period, up to 6 MiLB free agent signings, beginning 8:00 a.m. EST the day following the conclusion of the MiLB draft.

[pkyankfan6969]

If we drop one of our 6 minor league FA pick ups can we pick up another one instead or is it 6 total the whole year?

[Lunatic Fringe]

pkyankfan6969 said:

If we drop one of our 6 minor league FA pick ups can we pick up another one instead or is it 6 total the whole year?

Yes, you can drop one to pick up another. You can also pick one up to replace a Minor Leaguer that has been promoted due to loss of eligibility only. I'll lay it all out in one post later. Let's say after 2 weeks following the completion of the MiLB draft, the 1 MiLB FA/24 hr period restriction will be lifted. Everyone will have guys they want by then anyway. I will keeping track of all this.

[Rusty Trombones - Jackson]

admin said:

pkyankfan6969 said:

If we drop one of our 6 minor league FA pick ups can we pick up another one instead or is it 6 total the whole year?

Yes, you can drop one to pick up another. You can also pick one up to replace a Minor Leaguer that has been promoted due to loss of eligibility only. I'll lay it all out in one post later. Let's say after 2 weeks following the completion of the MiLB draft, the 1 MiLB FA/24 hr period restriction will be lifted. Everyone will have guys they want by then anyway. I will keeping track of all this.

Sounds like a good plan.

[Deleted]

admin said:

pkyankfan6969 said:

If we drop one of our 6 minor league FA pick ups can we pick up another one instead or is it 6 total the whole year?

Yes, you can drop one to pick up another. You can also pick one up to replace a Minor Leaguer that has been promoted due to loss of eligibility only. I'll lay it all out in one post later. Let's say after 2 weeks following the completion of the MiLB draft, the 1 MiLB FA/24 hr period restriction will be lifted. Everyone will have guys they want by then anyway. I will keeping track of all this.

This sounds pretty good. And it is definitely important because of owners like me. My MLB squad is loaded with young, cheap talent with plenty of guys I wouldn't have a problem keeping. Because of this, I really have no interest in mid to low ceiling minor leaguers who will be called up and lose their eligibility b/c I don't have room for them anyways. So I'm mainly targeting guys who will be in the minors for a while, so without restrictions I would probably go crazy picking guys up as a shot in the dark.

[Lunatic Fringe]

gardneja said:

admin said:

Yes, you can drop one to pick up another. You can also pick one up to replace a Minor Leaguer that has been promoted due to loss of eligibility only. I'll lay it all out in one post later. Let's say after 2 weeks following the completion of the MiLB draft, the 1 MiLB FA/24 hr period restriction will be lifted. Everyone will have guys they want by then anyway. I will keeping track of all this.

Sounds like a good plan.

I know, I'm a genius

[Deleted]

I like this plan also. Give it my (mushroom) stamp of approval.