Trade Deadline Chatter

[Bodhizefa]

Here's a post to talk about trade rumors in real baseball (and maybe even to chat about trade deadline deals in your own leagues if the board mods will allow!)

I'll start off with the rumors of St. Louis being all over Heath Bell. Can anyone explain to me why everyone seems to think the Cardinals need bullpen help? They could definitely use a good situational lefty, but with Boggs, Motte, Salas, and Lynn, the back of their pen is actually pretty good. Maybe I'm overrating Lynn, but he's been pretty badass since being put in the bullpen and I think he has the stuff and control to continue. And Salas has actually been really good as their closer overall. I dunno, it just seems like the perception of the Cardinals being weak in the bullpen isn't actually the reality. Their real problem seems to stem from the fact that their starting pitching beyond Garcia and Carpenter really isn't very good. If I were them, I'd be aiming for a good starting pitcher (like Bedard, if he can actually come back all right) instead of a guy who isn't likely to help them that much like Heath Bell.

[deansdaddy]

I have heard that the Cards are toying with the idea of using Lynn as a starter - so that would create a need for an additional arm in the pen I guess.

I agree that they would be smarter going after some starters and have heard that they would shit McLellan back to the pen if they get one.

[Trav The Ump]

A quick vent - I play in AL only and this is the WORST time of year. You're terrified about losing your own guys and the odds of FAAB'ing someone decent get slimmer the higher you are in the standings. We go with $100 for NL transfers so anyone decent gets the full bid meaning lowest standings gets the player. I'm in 2nd.

*Fingers crossed!*

[da_big_kid_94]

A quick vent - I play in AL only and this is the WORST time of year. You're terrified about losing your own guys and the odds of FAAB'ing someone decent get slimmer the higher you are in the standings. We go with $100 for NL transfers so anyone decent gets the full bid meaning lowest standings gets the player. I'm in 2nd.

*Fingers crossed!*

From your lips to the almighty's ear, mate!

[Captain Hook]

A quick vent - I play in AL only and this is the WORST time of year. You're terrified about losing your own guys and the odds of FAAB'ing someone decent get slimmer the higher you are in the standings. We go with $100 for NL transfers so anyone decent gets the full bid meaning lowest standings gets the player. I'm in 2nd.

*Fingers crossed!*

Curious - would you please post your league's entire rule(s) regarding FAAB of crossover players and how that affects a salary cap if you have one and what salary a crossover FA has versus a regular AL free agent?

TIA

[Trav The Ump]

Hey Perry,

Its pretty straightforward actually. We have no in season cap, 23 man $260 budget but you get $100 FAAB for the entire year for ANY NL crossovers. So far this year we've actually had no bids, not even when Branyan came over. So all ten teams have their entire $100. Weekly moves, cutoff is sunday Midnight mountain time. We use CBS as our provider and generally the arbiter of official roster moves that come into question for timing.

I always forget the term but the team bidding the most pays $1 more than the next lowest bid, we do not allow bids of $0. A players bid becomes his contract of a first of three year salary. No rules to keep above an amount etc. A few years back when Griffey went to the Sox I bid $100 (got nothing out of him) and released him at the end of the year. If two teams bid the same the lowest team gets him. We also do not allow trading of FAAB dollars, however I've always inclined to the league we should do this (I am the commish). Standard free agent is $10/1, this is what Branyan became since no one bid on him.

Did I mention ZERO replacement for losing your AL guy? Not even priority pick coming back. Your just SOL. Another fun side note the year Sabathia went to the Brewers and the NEXT day Harden went to the Cubs I had both. That was the end of that year.

Its an old school way to play but it definitely makes this time of year interesting. The last note I will add is we run two separate trade deadlines. The first being the first sunday after July 31st for open trades. Meaning trades with no restrictions however since we have no bench its always pitcher for pitcher, hitter for hitter. Our second trade deadline is the first Sunday after August 31st. The month in between you can still make trades but any players traded MUST be kept going into next year unless their fantasy contracts expire, they move to the NL or retire. Means if you are desperate you can still make a deal but highly unlikely a dump deal happens after the first trade deadline as very expensive players would need to be kept. We keep 12 (minimum 3) going into the next season out of the 23 man rosters.

Maybe not so straight forward after all, but its the way we play and it seems to work.

[Captain Hook]

So Trav, what about AL free agent during the season? Is that on waivers?

[Trav The Ump]

No we refer to it simply as free agents, last to first and repeat claims weekly.

I'm praying Drew is on the DL before 9am mountain tomorrow and I can replace him.

[da_big_kid_94]

So Trav, what about AL free agent during the season? Is that on waivers?

For our AL only, waivers are on players who were on active 25 man MLB rosters at the time of their replacement. Releases are on non 25 man roster players or DL'ed players. FAAB is for free agents or for waived players after their waiver period expires.

[Captain Hook]

Trav - the plus one bidding system is called Vickerey

Trav and DBK - what is the salary of a free agent claim?
actually there should be two, the first $ against the cap if you have an in season cap (and you should) and secondly the salary for retention purposes [for example in my AL keeper league with $260 auction budget, the salary cap during the season is $300. Free agents are $5 against the cap but if you found one you wanted to keep they would be 10F11 next year....ten dollar salary, Free agent from the 2011 season]

Trav - what happens with the high priced crossover players?

[da_big_kid_94]

Trav - the plus one bidding system is called Vickerey

Trav and DBK - what is the salary of a free agent claim?
actually there should be two, the first $ against the cap if you have an in season cap (and you should) and secondly the salary for retention purposes [for example in my AL keeper league with $260 auction budget, the salary cap during the season is $300. Free agents are $5 against the cap but if you found one you wanted to keep they would be 10F11 next year....ten dollar salary, Free agent from the 2011 season]

Trav - what happens with the high priced crossover players?

For a player FAAB'ed - it's the bid. For a waived player subsequently claimed? 10 units. We do not allow FAAB'ed players to be retained so that is a non issue for us. EDIT: We don't allow them to be traded or reserved either ... you buy 'em? You play 'em.

[deansdaddy]

Looks like the Cards are going to ship Colby Rasmus to Toronto for Edwin Jackson. Toronto gets Jackson and Teahen's 5.5 million contract for Jason Frasor. The Blue Jays look like they will get Rasmus for basically Frasor - a steal. EDIT: Looks like Toronto also sending Zach Stewart to the Sox in their deal. I think this shows the Sox will continue to dump salary.

[deansdaddy]

Colby Rasmus - OF - Cardinals

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a deal that will send Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays for Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski is "imminent."

[CubFan]

If these trades go through I think they would be good for Jackson (going to the NL with Duncan as pitching coach) and Rasmus going to Toronto (hitter's park and no longer in LaRussa's perpetual doghouse.....although Toronto will need to deal with Rasmus' hitting coach, dear ol dad). Don't see much change in value to the other player's values.

[da_big_kid_94]

I don't think the Blue Jays are done yet ...though I can't understand why. I think they make the deal with the Braves for Rauch - however that leaves Frankie as the closer - and that scares me - and I OWN him.. But can Rajai Davis play left field? I'm assuming CF now belongs to Rasmus.

[CubFan]

Didn't see anything about Rauch being dealt. But that would be good for me....I hope....as I'm a Frankie owner as well. If Rasmus plays CF as expected who'd you rather have in LF....Raji or Thames? I figure the other will DH. Maybe they'll rotate through that position.

[special k]

Well, Snider, Rasmus, Davis and Thames are all OFs, Lind at 1B, Encarnacion is also available at DH and played there yesterday.
As a Davis owner, I'm concerned the squeeze is on ...

[Trav The Ump]

Free agent claim is $10 year 1, we have no in season cap. Our league has been ongoing for 15 years and everyone knows each other quite well so dump trades have become part of the fabric of the league but without tilting competitive balance to far.

As far as me bidding $100 on Colby Rasmus this week? If I get him he goes on my roster and I could keep him next year at $100 year 2. That doesn't happen, lol. Again we leave it open so teams are free to manouevre how they want in regards to FAAB.

[Todd Zola]

FWIW, I am going to set up a chat room on Sunday where we all can hang as the trades roll in. Watch the announcement section on the home page for details.