Moneyball Baseball League Chat

I'm toying with the idea of starting a 24 team league based on the moneyball rules with some tweeks. I would increase the minimum salaries to reflect the recent CBA and I would increase the number of non-roster draftees teams could hold to 20 without a time limit on holding them, but would add a rule five draft each year for those non-roster players entering their fifth year on the team roster.

The other tweek would be the initial draft. I would split the draft into two stages with stage one being a traditional serpentine draft of players with less than six years of service time, while any player with six or more years would be selected through a free agency process. To expedite the free agent process I would allow each team to bid on an initial player so that we would have 24 players on auction at all times.

The draft would take place first and teams would control the player for the period of time remaining on their service time clock (so Senga would be controlled for six years including the 2023 SOM season), Gunnar Henderson would be controlled for five years, etc. The draftee salaries would be determined by the minimum salary rule.

The draft would end when all teams pass on drafting any more eligible MLB players. The prospect draft would follow and would comprise of five rounds. Once these two drafts are completed we can determine remaining salary caps and roster spots for each team before commencing the FA signing period.

I'd appreciate your thoughts and input before I write up the rules (most would remain from the current league). I'd also like to know if anyone would be interested, and if you think I could drum of 24 managers.

Phil

I would never say never to any league you set up and would read the rules, but it seems a bit much for me labor wise. That's a huge roster to manage, and as obsessed as I am with this stuff I don't think I'd have the time. But keep me in the loop once you publish any final rules.

Will do. The only additional roster management would be a larger farm system and the ability to draft eligible players off each others farm systems. The other labor intensive element would be the initial draft. I'm trying to set it up so that player service time and free agency are immediately integrated into the league salary structure. Our current league is only now starting to settle into the salary structure intended by the rules.

For me it's more about the depth of research that I'd feel obligated to do to study that many players with expanded rosters in a 24 team league. There was a time that I'd be all over that, but the current league aligns better with my available spare time.

I agree with everything teamnasty said. sounds very interesting just don't have the time to put forth to "do my best" at this endeavor.

With ggyuppie and I trading his 3rd round prospect pick to me, rosters need to be updated to add the $500K slot to my cap and remove it from ggyuppies.

Thanks!

I generally don't like paying in 24 team leagues. With rules this complex I don't think I would have interest.

Phil: there have been some trades of prospect picks both recently and extending back to last year, so this is just a reminder to make sure that the 3-round prospect draft order reflects those trades when the time comes.

Also, I am putting in a gentle request to see if we all can pick up the pace somewhat on our FA draft. I know that we are all busy, myself included, but we've still got about 25% of the picks left to go and this is screeching to a halt.

Thanks, and good luck all this year.

TN

Actually I found the file where Phil accounted for the prospect trades on the google doc. Well done!

The prospect trade with ggyuppie and me is reversed on the individual sheets. I should have 4 picks and gg should have 2.