FAAb fact finding tours

[da_big_kid_94]

The discussion about a league shrinking from 12 to 10 teams got me to thinking. If your league uses FAAB, what, if any, restrictions do you have (especially in keeper/dynasty leagues);

• Can you keep a player acquired via FAAB beyond the current season? For how long?
• What is the impact/cost of keeping such a player beyond the current year?
• What was the league consesnsus on how your particular FAAb shoul be handled?

[AllstonRockCity]

The AL Only I'm in that's been around since the mid-80's handles FAAB as follows:

They get an "A" contract at the price of the winning bid (we use Vickery). You can keep them the following year at the same price "B" contract. All "B" contracts become "*" contracts the following offseason and it is that point that you can extend that player at $5 per year. Players can be dropped at any point prior to being signed, but once signed any remaining years must be bought out in order to release that player.

There are minimum FAAB bids: $3 until 7/31, $5 from 8/1 til 8/31, $7 from 9/1 on.

So, for example, during August of 2009 we acquired Alexi Casilla for $5, so he was $5A. Last year he was kept at $5B. His contract is currently $5*.

[Captain Hook]

AL keeper league - ten teams with three man reserves and Deep minor league "Farm" teams

ETA - FAAB for the season is $100

FA are acquired by FAAB - cost vs in season cap ($300) is $5 BUT retention salary would be $10 so an American League free agent (must have been on AL roster or minor league roster) will have a $10F12 salary/contract to be kept next year - essentially first year player at that price just like a player acquired in this year's auction. $10 for 2013 and for 2014 unless signed to a long term contract (adding $5 for each additional year)

Crossover free agents have different hits vs cap but absolutely can NOT be retained for the following season (same with free agents who were unsigned on draft day)

[actuary316]

12 team auction ($260); mixed; 4x4 roto league with 40 man rosters (15 keepers plus 4 minor leaguers)

Each team is allocated $100 FAAB at start of year. Any money not spent at the auction is added to beginning FAAB balance.

Min FAAB bid is $0 and max is a teams FAAB balance.

Any player added via FAAB is handled like any auctioned player. The player can be kept for as long as the owner would like. Each year, the player's salary is increased by $4. If the player is not kept, the salary is reset to $0 and the player enters the general player pool at the next auction.

FAAB transactions occur once per week via blind bid auction.

[Trav The Ump]

10 team AL only - $100 for NL players entering the league during the season. Vickery system, contract becomes Bid/1, players get a three year contract with old school option to extend by $5 in year three for as many years as they'd like. Minimum bid is $1.

One side effect is a lot of owners will sit on their money until July 31st hoping a superstar comes across and bid $100. For the most part it has been very fair and effective and we've been doing it this way for years.

[alleyoops]

Three leagues, all use $100 FAAB budget. All treat players acquired in FAAB the same as those acquired in auction, for keeping. All increase salaries of keepers by $5 a year. None allow a $0 bid. All have in-season salary cap on starting lineup.

NL only - regular FAAB, salary is the winning bid amount.
Mixed 12 team - Vickery FAAB, salary is the winning bid amount ($1 more than the next highest bid).
Mixed 14 team - regular FAAB, salary is the greater of $5 or the player's previous salary in the current season.

I personally prefer the last one for these reasons:

* few keepable players are obtained via FAAB (their next year salary is at least 10)
* the $5 salaries work better with the in-season salary cap (for example, if you bid $40 to get a guy in FAAB, he only counts $5 against the cap) - this wouldn't work well in a single league, where stud guys crossover, as $5 would be too low for those guys - maybe make those guys $20, other guys $5?

[da_big_kid_94]

Interesting input so far, gents. Thank you for your contributions to date.