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Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:09 pm
by aaronweiner
Hi everyone. The GB has been discussing rules changes for compensation picks since this offseason, and we have come to two decisions.
Rule Change #1:
Effective immediately, only unsigned first round picks will receive a compensation pick next year. This means we are ending rollover picks for S1, Round 2, and Round 3 picks. So if you don’t sign your picks past R1 you will not get a pick next year.
Rule Change #2:
Effective starting in 2050, we will be changing the method by which we calculate compensation picks. We will begin calculating Type A free agents by a two year average and Type B must qualify both in their free agency year and by a two year average. There may be other changes to this as well but the second rule will not take effect until the 2049-50 offseason. We will keep you updated on the final form of this change soon.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:58 pm
by GoldenOne
I didnt think supplemental picks rolled over anyway so that's an easy one. And round 3 - generally its not worth it anyway. I would have still like round 2 to rollover though.
Change #2 affects more than just compensation picks. It actually affects trading strategies and FA strategies as well. Not a big fan of this one. Raising the threshold a bit would have just been easier and made more sense and probably have had more of an effect. This just penalizes someone who made have had a bad year or the team around him had a bad year. Not a big fan of this one; it creates more work and more uncertainty in people.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:20 pm
by chicoruiz
I’m nobody, but IMHO if you draft someone you have no intention of even trying to sign, you’re gaming the system, and you should have no beef when the system closes down that loophole.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:26 pm
by recte44
I’m with you @chicoruiz . Been trying to change this rule for many seasons.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:27 pm
by jiminyhopkins
LOL these mfers ain't getting signed anyway, compensation or not. I'm not wasting the cash on them.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:32 pm
by sjshaw
How offensive. How is it "gaming the system" when the system is quite literally set up to operate this way? If you don't sign them, you roll over the pick. Why does intent matter?
chicoruiz wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:20 pm
I’m nobody, but IMHO if you draft someone you have no intention of even trying to sign, you’re gaming the system, and you should have no beef when the system closes down that loophole.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:40 pm
by chicoruiz
I guess I’d argue that the system isn’t “set up to operate this way” at all. It’s set up so that teams who drafted a player they legitimately wanted to sign but couldn’t reach an agreement with would not be penalized too badly. And I would argue that intent does, in fact, matter.
That said, I certainly didn’t mean to be “offensive”; just stating an opinion.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:20 pm
by GoldenOne
Allow draft pick trading then. Solves the problem of people "gaming the system."
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:22 pm
by aaronweiner
Let me address both of these.
Rule change #1 is intended to do three things: create a more active and educated draft community, even the playing field, and speed up the draft dramatically.
It should create a situation in which people work harder at the draft. If you can't autopick your second rounder and reject it and expect to get a fresh one next year, it makes it so you have to try, or at least make a list of players you'd want, or accept that if you chose not to decide you still have made a choice. Better competition, more thinking, more drafting, more fun.
It should also even the playing field a bit more. It makes it so everyone has to draft in the same draft, leveling the playing field. It makes your third and fourth rounders more interesting and gets the bottom teams to their pick faster. It will also speed up the draft dramatically, which this year especially was sort of grueling, and since surety in BBA drafts is usually at most one round deep, it's absurd to think that we should be throwing back imperfect players in Round 2: that's what's usually there.
It's also worth noting that this is the rule we had when I joined the league, that only first rounders rolled over. For a while we did five rounds of comp picks, and then three, and at this point it's one again, so it's really back to where I started.
Rule change #2 I feel somewhat obligated to defend, as it was my idea. Brett, it really IS supposed to change your strategy, which is why we announced it a full year and a half before we are implementing it. The idea came to me specifically based on two players:
Ernest McBride
Hsin Mei
Which of these two guys was the Type A this year? If you said McBride, you could be forgiven; he's won two Sawyer Silks and is a superstar in his prime who changed teams. But it was the 37-year old Mei, who was last a Type B in 2044 and who played in the UMEBA in 2046, that got the S1. That didn't sit well with me at all.
There are quite a few other considerations here, including:
1) A likely reduction in one-year signees garnering sandwich picks. It will likely be more expensive to do this (since you'll need somewhat better players), likely leading to less developed teams earning the picks for those types of players, which is a net positive.
2) A likely overall reduction in Type A and Type B picks without dropping them altogether, and an improvement in quality for those players. We ran the numbers on it from last year and it really only marginally cut down the number while still having the majority of players qualify.
3) People playing their guys. If they know they're not getting an automatic draft pick for burning through them in Year 6, they have to play them or risk that they won't have a big enough year in Year 6 to get a pick. The Players Association called and want their guys to play.
4) The Ernest McBrides of the world getting an S1 pick, which I would have liked to have seen happen this year, and players like Mei, Sebastian Fradesso, Cesar Feliciana, Jose Camacho and Ramon Pagan getting S2s, which makes sense as only two of those guys would have even qualified for Type B (a much lower bar, 1.4 WAR, than the 3.7 for Type A) the year before.
Anyway, hope that clears up some things.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:31 pm
by aaronweiner
Oh, and if you were wondering what the list might be of Type A free agents under this system, other than McBride:
Angel Zalapa, Carlomaria Donadoni, Jim Antolin, Sawyer Slizz, James Browning.
There isn't a guy on that list that isn't an immediate impact player for a new franchise.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:34 pm
by GoldenOne
Its clear, I'm just not a fan.
Although, how are players like Mei going to count then? You cant compare his UMEBA year to a year in the BBA. Also, I feel like you are penalizing guys that have a good year in their contract year. We see it quite often in the MLB - players have an above average year in their contract year and cash in from it. Can anyone say one way or another whether this is any sort of factor in OOTP?
I, personally, like the one-year signing strategy. For instance, right now I need to build up my prospects. Why wouldnt it be a good strategy to sign a couple of really good players to one-year deals (if I had the cap space) in order to get an S1 or S2 pick? Or, I tried to sign Collins to a one-year deal this season because I felt like I had an injury-prone player I need a back-up for and I only needed them for one season. I'll think twice about it if I wont even have the chance of getting a comp pick.
It is what it is, I'm just not a fan.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:39 pm
by aaronweiner
Mei would have been a Type B based on his 2.0 WAR average. It's fairly consistent that Type A players are twice the WAR of Type B players, so if they qualify for Type A they have automatically qualified for Type B, even if - as with Mei - he had zero WAR last year. I'm not suggesting we get nothing for a 4 WAR player.
The one-year strategy still works; you just have to sign better players to make it work or do better with them. And it's okay to think twice about that; the point of signing a guy should primarily be so that player helps you win ballgames.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:09 pm
by mragland
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:22 pm
or accept that if you chose not to decide you still have made a choice.
I see what you did there.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:12 pm
by aaronweiner
mragland wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:09 pm
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:22 pm
or accept that if you chose not to decide you still have made a choice.
I see what you did there.
I kill with kindness.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:32 pm
by jiminyhopkins
mragland wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:09 pm
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:22 pm
or accept that if you chose not to decide you still have made a choice.
I see what you did there.
What you say about his baseball league is what you say about society
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:37 pm
by JimBob2232
My only complaint here - is that we made this rule change in the middle of the draft. Why not say 'effecting this offseason we will not be awarding comp picks for XYZ...and next years draft picks will not roll over"? People have already made picks in this draft. Just seems retroactive.
Not critiquing the rule changes. But I always prefer some notice before changing anything...gives people a bit of time to adjust.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:39 pm
by aaronweiner
JimBob2232 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:37 pm
My only complaint here - is that we made this rule change in the middle of the draft. Why not say 'effecting this offseason we will not be awarding comp picks for XYZ...and next years draft picks will not roll over"? People have already made picks in this draft. Just seems retroactive.
Not critiquing the rule changes. But I always prefer some notice before changing anything...gives people a bit of time to adjust.
Can you tell me what changed in an immediate sense that would have required waiting on this?
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:42 pm
by niles08
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:39 pm
JimBob2232 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:37 pm
My only complaint here - is that we made this rule change in the middle of the draft. Why not say 'effecting this offseason we will not be awarding comp picks for XYZ...and next years draft picks will not roll over"? People have already made picks in this draft. Just seems retroactive.
Not critiquing the rule changes. But I always prefer some notice before changing anything...gives people a bit of time to adjust.
Can you tell me what changed in an immediate sense that would have required waiting on this?
I drafted two players that I had no intention of signing, thinking I would be getting comp picks next year when the draft would maybe be better. You can call it "gaming the system" but I didn't have someone I really wanted so, I figured I would just wait until next year and roll the dice on getting a different choice.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:56 pm
by JimBob2232
niles08 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:42 pm
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:39 pm
JimBob2232 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:37 pm
My only complaint here - is that we made this rule change in the middle of the draft. Why not say 'effecting this offseason we will not be awarding comp picks for XYZ...and next years draft picks will not roll over"? People have already made picks in this draft. Just seems retroactive.
Not critiquing the rule changes. But I always prefer some notice before changing anything...gives people a bit of time to adjust.
Can you tell me what changed in an immediate sense that would have required waiting on this?
I drafted two players that I had no intention of signing, thinking I would be getting comp picks next year when the draft would maybe be better. You can call it "gaming the system" but I didn't have someone I really wanted so, I figured I would just wait until next year and roll the dice on getting a different choice.
Well - for starters - im not sure what comp picks might not be awarded for the next draft (note: I dont think i will get any unless something drastic happens in the second half of the season...so this isnt a homer thing) - but i dont think it is fair to those who might have otherwise have received them.
And yes - there were definitely picks made with the intention to not sign them before the rule change was announced. In addition, there were auto picks which people are now stuck with (this one does effect me).
Not trying to stir up hate and discontent. I just think its best to give any rule change a bit of time before implementing unless there is some super critical reason (i.e. cheating or collusion or something) that requires immediate action.
Re: Important Draft Rules Change
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:07 pm
by Spiccoli
JimBob2232 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:56 pm
niles08 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:42 pm
aaronweiner wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:39 pm
Can you tell me what changed in an immediate sense that would have required waiting on this?
I drafted two players that I had no intention of signing, thinking I would be getting comp picks next year when the draft would maybe be better. You can call it "gaming the system" but I didn't have someone I really wanted so, I figured I would just wait until next year and roll the dice on getting a different choice.
Well - for starters - im not sure what comp picks might not be awarded for the next draft (note: I dont think i will get any unless something drastic happens in the second half of the season...so this isnt a homer thing) - but i dont think it is fair to those who might have otherwise have received them.
And yes - there were definitely picks made with the intention to not sign them before the rule change was announced. In addition, there were auto picks which people are now stuck with (this one does effect me).
Not trying to stir up hate and discontent. I just think its best to give any rule change a bit of time before implementing unless there is some super critical reason (i.e. cheating or collusion or something) that requires immediate action.
Well... there were GM's in chat openly stating they had no intention to sign their picks to get a supplemental next year. If that's what you mean.