Compensation Pick Rule Change (Relievers)

[RonCo]

After hearing conversation from the league regarding the acquisition of compensation picks, and after considerable debate within the Governing Board, we've decided to take an initial step to limit the value of relief pitchers. Losing relievers to free agency will still accumulate a supplemental pick, but all will become second round supplemental selections. This change will go into effect immediately, meaning it will affect next off season's process.

The board will continue to review the compensation pick process as time progresses, and may take further action based on any results we see.

The constitution has been modified to reflect this practice. Here's the new wording:

Type A Designation: The top 14% in WAR of SP and position players (each category individually ranked) will become Type A Free Agents.
Type B Designation: The top 15-32% in WAR of SP and position players as well as the top 20% of RP will become Type B Free Agents.

For purposes of Type designation, a SP is defined as a pitcher who threw twice as many starts as relief appearances in the immediately preceding season.

[ae37jr]

RP are the red headed stepchildren of the BBA. Remember that when your bullpen implodes and destroys your pyth record.

[bcslouck]

Another midseason change that may of changed teams last offseason strategy? Say it ain't so.

[aaronweiner]

Two reasons why we are doing this:

1) Relievers do not have the same WAR impact as other players and should not be treated as such.

2) People were "gaming" the system a little bit to make their starting pitchers into relievers and putting them on the higher end of reliever WAR for draft picks. This created a problem for everyone.

[Bumstead]

Solution: get rid of compensation picks in on-line leagues...they serve no purpose except to add picks to the better teams anyway. I don't know why leagues hold onto this compensation pick idea. It doesn't work like real life in an online league because GM's in on-line leagues don't build/manage an organization the same as GM's in real life.

Devaluing RP's...please do. WAR & RP's...ok.... If GM's are gaming the game then punish those GM's....it won't be the last gaming of the game that they do.

[felipe]

I am firmly in the camp of abolishing compensation picks in the BBA

Frankly, I think you'll find them abolished in the MLB too at their next CBA...but I guess we will have to wait and see on that one

But you gotta figure the union would push for it, its a big reason why some pitchers are still unsigned

[usnspecialist]

There were a variety of options discussed among the GB and among those was the abolition of comp picks and while that is still an option down the road, we did not want to take that drastic of a step at this time.

[Bumstead]

"Drastic?" Sorry, I fail to see anything drastic about getting rid of comp picks in the least. I don't see how making changes that level the playing field is a drastic change. Maybe it's too "reasonable."

[usnspecialist]

"Drastic?" Sorry, I fail to see anything drastic about getting rid of comp picks in the least. I don't see how making changes that level the playing field is a drastic change. Maybe it's too "reasonable."

You can make an argument that the only reason the playing field isn't "level" when it comes to comp picks is that some GMs are just more skilled than others at doing their job, and identifying players that would be likely to gain picks and signing them to deals that accommodate that.

Again, we may decide to adjust further in the future (to include abolishing them) but we are not doing that at this time.

[Bumstead]

"Drastic?" Sorry, I fail to see anything drastic about getting rid of comp picks in the least. I don't see how making changes that level the playing field is a drastic change. Maybe it's too "reasonable."

You can make an argument that the only reason the playing field isn't "level" when it comes to comp picks is that some GMs are just more skilled than others at doing their job, and identifying players that would be likely to gain picks and signing them to deals that accommodate that.

Again, we may decide to adjust further in the future (to include abolishing them) but we are not doing that at this time.

You tend to like to brag about skill, when it in most cases in this league is about time allocation cause we all got skillz. There is also that little problem of not competing for free agents because the have-nots don't want to lose picks. It reduces competition for free agents that are compensation eligible. Personally I wouldn't have signed my 2b if I had paid attention and noted that he was comp eligible. I would rather have the 2nd round pick. This is why it doesn't work. Comp guys are more likely to either resign with their own teams or just go to better teams because the other teams have no interest in giving their picks up....skill...hardly...find a new direction for discussion.

[RonCo]

In our league, no team ever loses a pick.

[usnspecialist]

"Drastic?" Sorry, I fail to see anything drastic about getting rid of comp picks in the least. I don't see how making changes that level the playing field is a drastic change. Maybe it's too "reasonable."

You can make an argument that the only reason the playing field isn't "level" when it comes to comp picks is that some GMs are just more skilled than others at doing their job, and identifying players that would be likely to gain picks and signing them to deals that accommodate that.

Again, we may decide to adjust further in the future (to include abolishing them) but we are not doing that at this time.

You tend to like to brag about skill, when it in most cases in this league is about time allocation cause we all got skillz. There is also that little problem of not competing for free agents because the have-nots don't want to lose picks. It reduces competition for free agents that are compensation eligible. Personally I wouldn't have signed my 2b if I had paid attention and noted that he was comp eligible. I would rather have the 2nd round pick. This is why it doesn't work. Comp guys are more likely to either resign with their own teams or just go to better teams because the other teams have no interest in giving their picks up....skill...hardly...find a new direction for discussion.

There is certainly a time factor to this game, but it is also pretty clearly indisputable that certain people are just better at this game than others. Regarding skill, I'm hardly promoting my talent at comp picks, i have gotten 1 in 6 seasons, and that was a class B reliever last season (who I don't think is eligible under the new rules). Others are far better at this part of the game than I am.

[Bumstead]

In our league, no team ever loses a pick.

You are right. My bad on that. Yesterday I had pick 2.1 instead of 2.5. I thought somehow I had lost my 2nd rounder...couldn't figure out the other one. Still the have's get the extra picks in most cases. I never will understand comp picks in on-line leagues. I don't have interest in providing extra picks for teams that finish at the top of the standings.

[RonCo]

1) I agree that it sucks to get a rule change in mid-season. I have advocated against doing that. It is our intent to release rule changes in the off-season when we can. (See announcement of expansion and OOTP 20 announcement made at end of this last off-season). We will not be perfect, however. As Jeff says, we have day jobs and families, too.

2) In this case, the strategic impact is small if any--all players who would have been eligible for picks will still be eligible.

My personal apologies to anyone who had a plan messed up by this rule change. Feel free to fill mt in-box with invective. I'm all ears.

[Bumstead]

1) I agree that it sucks to get a rule change in mid-season. I have advocated against doing that. It is our intent to release rule changes in the off-season when we can. (See announcement of expansion and OOTP 20 announcement made at end of this last off-season). We will not be perfect, however. As Jeff says, we have day jobs and families, too.

2) In this case, the strategic impact is small if any--all players who would have been eligible for picks will still be eligible.

My personal apologies to anyone who had a plan messed up by this rule change. Feel free to fill mt in-box with invective. I'm all ears.

You know this sets Boise back another 2 seasons, right?

[usnspecialist]

The funny thing is that I was one of the people arguing for the removal of comp picks entirely....

[Bumstead]

You can make an argument that the only reason the playing field isn't "level" when it comes to comp picks is that some GMs are just more skilled than others at doing their job, and identifying players that would be likely to gain picks and signing them to deals that accommodate that.

Again, we may decide to adjust further in the future (to include abolishing them) but we are not doing that at this time.

You tend to like to brag about skill, when it in most cases in this league is about time allocation cause we all got skillz. There is also that little problem of not competing for free agents because the have-nots don't want to lose picks. It reduces competition for free agents that are compensation eligible. Personally I wouldn't have signed my 2b if I had paid attention and noted that he was comp eligible. I would rather have the 2nd round pick. This is why it doesn't work. Comp guys are more likely to either resign with their own teams or just go to better teams because the other teams have no interest in giving their picks up....skill...hardly...find a new direction for discussion.

There is certainly a time factor to this game, but it is also pretty clearly indisputable that certain people are just better at this game than others. Regarding skill, I'm hardly promoting my talent at comp picks, i have gotten 1 in 6 seasons, and that was a class B reliever last season (who I don't think is eligible under the new rules). Others are far better at this part of the game than I am.

You can do what you want. In this league, bragging about skill will probably just look like bragging. Too many really good GM's in this league for one to toot one's horn much if at all. I don't think landing comp picks requires skill....but we all have our own thoughts.

[RonCo]

There is certainly a time factor to this game, but it is also pretty clearly indisputable that certain people are just better at this game than others. Regarding skill, I'm hardly promoting my talent at comp picks, i have gotten 1 in 6 seasons, and that was a class B reliever last season (who I don't think is eligible under the new rules). Others are far better at this part of the game than I am.

Yes, Randy--for example (to pick on a fellow board member)--is obviously very good, but he's also firmly and publicly stated that he hates the concept of using player options and opt outs and will never do so. By definition, he's not going to generate much in the way of comp picks. Is this a situation where a power philosophy represents a hole in his skillset? I can argue it that way. The "cost" of an player option is planning uncertainty, but there are times where it's of good value to take a chance on earning a pick for that uncertainty. If one GM weighs those chances in those cases (and makes an appropriate action) and another doesn't then I'd argue one GM is more skilled than the other. But there are literally hundreds of these things involved in running teams. No GM is perfect. I've been learning a ton from my fellow competitors.

[RonCo]

You know this sets Boise back another 2 seasons, right?

Now you're just trolling.

[agrudez]

This was a very good move, imo. Elite closers = good 3rd rotation SP in my book, and they both seem like Type B value. Kudos.