Moneyball Baseball League Chat

I want to thank everyone for their input and patience. The two principle concerns were the contract extension terms for fifth year players being very costly relative to 3rd and 4th year players, and the timing of arbitration and contract extensions. Here are my decisions about these issues.

There is a problem with drafting fifth year players in that their contract extensions are a lot more expensive than 3 and 4 year contract extensions. I set that rule in order to force managers to make decisions about extending in the early years of arbitration, and because in the real world teams would have to offer a very rich contract in order to prevent players from testing the free agent market. While I believe this will work well in future seasons, it is a real flaw for our inaugural draft as it punishes teams for drafting fifth year players. For this reason I am clarifying the rule for post draft contract extensions.

Fifth year players will be treated the same as third and fourth year players for post draft contract extensions for this season only. Their salaries will be determined by the top 50% of players in their primary position rather than the top 25%, and the extensions will be for four years. The only difference is that if you do not choose to extend the player you will control him at his arbitration price the following year.


Randy has brought up a great point about the timing of contract extension and arbitration decisions. I agree with his thinking on the matter. We should be making decisions about players under our control prior to the MLB season being played. When I wrote the rules I was thinking about the book keeping and the timing of the SOM card release, but I don't think the book keeping is an issue.

Therefore I will change the rules to reflect new timing on contract extensions and arbitration decisions to something like Opening Day of MLB.

A third issue is how will we know who is eligible for free agency if it occurs before the cards are released? I will work on revising the rules to include this consideration. I'm thinking about setting a plate appearance or innings pitched requirement for currently un-carded players to qualify.

Finally, please know that we are using the SUPER ADVANCED INJURY RULES. You will need to build depth in our pitching staff if you plan to survive. If, after the first season, we find that these rules are too punishing I am open to revisiting this rule.

This is an experiment, and I am committed to getting it right.

I like the super advanced rules. it will be new for many of us, but is more realistic. pitchers never got hurt before, now you've got to create some depth (as in real mlb). It doesn't change hitters' injury frequency at all, just how long they could be out for slightly.

Appreciate everything you've done Phil. Ready to go! I honestly hope I'm the 1st one to let some scrub go after 2019 and see him have a monster season in 2020 and have to bid on him as a FA if I want him back. I'll just take it as it comes knowing it will be the same for everyone.

ALL-RIGHTY THAN..WW3 avoided.....lol....Its all good folks..growing pains and conversation...watch those 5 yrs players gobbed up now!!!!!!!!!!!!...GREAT JOB COMMISH

I have made changes to the rules to reflect our decisions about the inaugural draft. The rules now reflect those changes, but here is a summary.

Article 1 Sect. 3 (c) was changed to say that 2019 SOM salaries will be in effect for the inaugural seasons, and the contract extensions take effect in the 2020 season.

Article 9 Sect. 9 (b) was changed to say that players drafted with 5 years of service will be treated like players with 3 to 4 years of service for the purposes of contract extensions.

Article 9 Sect 7 was changed to reflect a new timeline for contract decisions. After the inaugural draft contracts will be set for the 2020 MLB season, which has yet to be played. On Nov. 30 team owners will have to make contract decisions about the 2021 MLB season. We will always be making contract decisions about players four months before the MLB season is played and more than a year before SOM releases cards for the past season. You are now officially Billy Bean.

Article 10 Sect 4 was revised to limit supplemental free agency to carded players in the current leashed SOM season only.

I hope this is acceptable to all.

Wait a minute now, i need clarification before I make my next pick as I'm on the clock. What does treating 5 year players same as 3-4 year players mean? I dont understand the part about making decisions for the 2021 season by 11/30. I'll go back and start reading this thread but I need to know before I make my next pick, and after all is explained to me I will weigh in about whether I'm ok with it. I will not make a pick until these questions are answered

I"ve been ducking 5 year players the whole time, even those with favorable contracts like Syndergaard, now you're telling me we are changing the rules to favor them?

the rules were not fair to players with 5 r contracts.....now they are able to be offered contracts .....we all stayed away from 5 yr players but now they are available..im good with that


Fifth year players will be treated the same as third and fourth year players for post draft contract extensions for this season only. Their salaries will be determined by the top 50% of players in their primary position rather than the top 25%, and the extensions will be for four years. The only difference is that if you do not choose to extend the player you will control him at his arbitration price the following year.

Having read this thread I can say that I'm fine with 3 of the 4 proposed changes, and decidedly NOT fine with the fourth. Understanding that this is a novel complex league it's bogus to change the rules six rounds into a draft when teams have been relying on them to this point, and those that haven't shouldnt get a lift now through the changes.

Nonetheless, the changes about the leashed cards/supplemental draft, keeping 2019 pricing through both inaugural seasons not just the first, and front loading contract decisions by 11/30 so we dont' know how a player is performing in real life (the future, for our terms) all make sense and I have zero problem with them.

But no way I am fine with the switch treating 5 year players like 3-4 year players. That rule was clear as day entering the draft, has been repeatedly clarified in this thread and others before the draft even started, and even at times during the draft itself. Whether its a good rule or not, that's something that can be addressed by the 2/3rds vote before the NEXT season. But no way we should change it now six rounds into this as I, and i'm sure others, have relied on in deciding who to draft to this point.

I want Phil to let me know whether that change is staying, or whether he is withdrawing it, before I make my next pick. I absolutely oppose it.

Thanks,

TN

i would look at it as ok the rules have changed but i get the #1 pick of the best 5 yr players left......and let the commish respond to you