I have a problem with the fact that the salary floor applies even prior to waivers. I'm in a new 140M league and I must maintain a salary level of 126M even prior to waivers. I think this is just dumb, and I object to this very strenously. Why should I be hamstrung in making pre-waiver moves by a rule that might make sense once the playing starts, but doesn't make any sense, at least to me, while teams are being put together before the season, and especially pre-waivers.
As an example, I drafted a team for a lefty park and got Cy Young in the auto-draft when I missed a LH SP. I don't plan to use Young and doubt that he has any trade value. But what happens when I try to drop Young? I can't, because the Salary Floor applies even during waivers. Here's what I get:
Free Agent Transaction
You've chosen to drop: Young, Cy (1901) ($8,910,000)
Your current funds: $9,530,000
Your resulting funds: $18,440,000
You're unable to execute this transaction for the following reasons:
- This move would put your total team salary at $121,560,000, which is under the required minimum of $126,000,000.
- You may not pick up any players until the Waivers period is over.
Go back.
I meet the other roster requirements for dropping Young. But now I can't drop him because this new Salary Floor applies even before waivers. ARRGGGHHHH. This really limits my freedom of action when I try to plan my moves during waivers. I like to clear my roster of unwanted players so that I can be free to pick up the players I want during waivers.
I am an experienced and extremely competitive player. Dropping Young before waivers has nothing to do with tanking. Why should I be forced to hold onto I player I don't want, never intended to draft, can't trade, and won't use, when I fully intend to invest every cent of my 140M before the season starts? I almost never drop a player during the regular season. Why can't I drop Young before waivers? I feel that this rule is stifling to competition.
I'd like to ask SOM to reconsider this particular aspect of the rule. I'm my view, a required miminum of $126M in a 140M should only apply when the season starts. Does anyone agree with me? If you don't agree, could you explain the rationale for this pre-waiver rule?