Posted by pirateswin2 on 11/25/2010 12:05:00 PM (view original):
if your team is in last place with 20 games left and no chance to even sniff a wild card is it tanking to rest some of your top players and play your bench guys ( who are ML quality , just  they obviously have some holes) to avoid the risk of injury at the end of the season?

In my opinion it depends. If their fatigue is below 95%, then rest away. If you have a guy who's at 98-100% stamina, but maybe an older guy (with another year left on his contract) with like a 50 health, then rest away. If you have a guy at 98-100% stamina who has health in the 90s, then I think it's kind of BS to rest him. You also probably have no business resting anybody who's contract is up in this current season.

If you have young bench guys who are legitimate ML players but you want to get more ABs to see what their potential is (especially if they have weird ratings, like really high power and contact but no splits, or great splits but no batting eye, stuff like that), I have no problem with playing them over a "starter" to help evaluate things for next year.

But again, it depends and it also kind of all factors in together. Somebody who is resting 4 starters who are at 98% stamina and giving two AAAA pitchers "some innings to see what they can do" is starting to border on tanking. An owner's past history should be considered as well; somebody who's been a long-time quality owner should be given more leeway than a rookie.

Posted by plague on 11/24/2010 8:32:00 AM (view original):
I have signed free agents before with the idea that I would try and shop that player around. I think its a good strategy if your rebuilding and you only lose a 2nd round pick for a Type A Free Agent . You can basically upgrade your 2nd round pick to a supplemental quality player, or even a late first round quality player, plus you know exactly what your getting unlike the draft you might not get what you want.

Problem is the deal with the Type A guy was the 3rd deal between the two teams. 

Posted by pirateswin2 on 11/25/2010 12:05:00 PM (view original):
if your team is in last place with 20 games left and no chance to even sniff a wild card is it tanking to rest some of your top players and play your bench guys ( who are ML quality , just  they obviously have some holes) to avoid the risk of injury at the end of the season?

I've never really had a problem with this.    That is, of course, assuming you're playing guys who will likely be a part of your BL club.   Regardless what WifS says, there is an injury bomb that will take out 2-4 players the last week of the season(seems like it hits about game 150).    No need to damage pending Type A/B FA or players signed to long-term deals.    That said, too many owners call up 6 year pros from AA to play.   They aren't going to be part of your BL club.   They've had them in AA for 3 seasons and they've lived thru 3 Rule 5 drafts.  Playing those guys is an obvious effort to lose.

Posted by MikeT23 on 11/26/2010 6:01:00 AM (view original):

Posted by pirateswin2 on 11/25/2010 12:05:00 PM (view original):
if your team is in last place with 20 games left and no chance to even sniff a wild card is it tanking to rest some of your top players and play your bench guys ( who are ML quality , just  they obviously have some holes) to avoid the risk of injury at the end of the season?

I've never really had a problem with this.    That is, of course, assuming you're playing guys who will likely be a part of your BL club.   Regardless what WifS says, there is an injury bomb that will take out 2-4 players the last week of the season(seems like it hits about game 150).    No need to damage pending Type A/B FA or players signed to long-term deals.    That said, too many owners call up 6 year pros from AA to play.   They aren't going to be part of your BL club.   They've had them in AA for 3 seasons and they've lived thru 3 Rule 5 drafts.  Playing those guys is an obvious effort to lose.

Mike brings up a good point; guys bring up their minors and say they'e "avoiding injury" as a cover for tanking in an effort to fall into the bottom 16 of the draft once they're eliminated. It's hard for a commish to identify and stop this; too much looking around at individual players at a time when you have better things to do, like get recruitment going for next season.

Posted by rootgargle on 11/23/2010 7:46:00 PM (view original):
As far as I know, there's nothing you can do since it's a public world.  My suggestion is to join a solid private world that have anti-tanking rules.

like capb which has 2 openings...and is one of the top 5 worlds out there...

Posted by astro123 on 11/25/2010 5:47:00 PM (view original):

Posted by plague on 11/24/2010 8:32:00 AM (view original):
I have signed free agents before with the idea that I would try and shop that player around. I think its a good strategy if your rebuilding and you only lose a 2nd round pick for a Type A Free Agent . You can basically upgrade your 2nd round pick to a supplemental quality player, or even a late first round quality player, plus you know exactly what your getting unlike the draft you might not get what you want.

Problem is the deal with the Type A guy was the 3rd deal between the two teams. 

I was not speaking of their situation, I was talking about the strategy of signing a Type A player with the intent of shopping him around.