Indirectly related to HBD, but I wanted to put some information out there for all the people who cry out with the familiar refrain that players are no longer sold in MLB.

2009
Chicago Cubs sold Rich Hill to Baltimore Orioles.

Florida Marlins sold Eulogio de la Cruz to San Diego Padres.

Toronto Blue Jays sold Curtis Thigpen to Oakland Athletics.

San Diego Padres sold Chris Burke to Seattle Mariners. (3/29)

Seattle Mariners sold Chris Burke to San Diego Padres. (4/21; poor guy)

Texas Rangers sold Kason Gabbard to Boston Red Sox.

Philadelphia Phillies sold Justin Lehr to Cincinnati Reds.

Cleveland Indians sold Wilson Valdez to New York Mets.

Colorado Rockies sold Jason Grilli to Texas Rangers.

New York Yankees sold Jose Veras to Cleveland Indians.

Chicago Cubs sold Ryan Freel to Kansas City Royals.

Colorado Rockies sold Jason Hirsh to New York Yankees.

Detroit Tigers sold Josh Anderson to Kansas City Royals.

Chicago White Sox sold Norris Hopper to Washington Nationals.

Chicago White Sox sold Daryle Ward to Washington Nationals.

Chicago Cubs sold Jason Dubois to New York Mets.

San Diego Padres sold Chad Gaudin to New York Yankees.

Cincinnati Reds sold David Weathers to Milwaukee Brewers.

Cleveland Indians sold Andy Cannizaro to Chicago White Sox.

San Diego Padres sold Scott Patterson to Oakland Athletics.

Baltimore Orioles sold Joey Gathright to Boston Red Sox.

Baltimore Orioles sold Freddy Guzman to New York Yankees.

Seattle Mariners sold Jamie Burke to Washington Nationals.

Kansas City Royals sold Tug Hulett to Boston Red Sox.

Detroit Tigers sold Dusty Ryan to San Diego Padres.

That's 24 guys and 25 straight sales last season (2009). In 2008, there were 15 straight sales, including some pretty familiar names and even some that have already turned into All-Star players (Evan Meek). (2009 info from http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/YM_2009.htm).

What's good for MLB is not necessarly good for HBD.

Posted by tropicana on 9/6/2010 6:59:00 PM (view original):
What's good for MLB is not necessarly good for HBD.

That may be the case.

This is here for information purposes and to hopefully dissuade people from simply parroting the "players aren't sold in MLB" line.

Then perhaps you shouldn't get into discussions with 'tards who can't articulate reasonable arguments.

Care to tell me what the budget cap is in MLB?

You're missing the point, Mike.

Brent is only here to tell us that one rarely used, factually incorrect argument against selling players is factually incorrect.  He's doing us all quite the service, really- we can now all cross off reason #1000 against player selling off the list and focus on the top 999.

I was just asking a question.    It should be answer #1 any time someone says "But MLB......."

Weird that a question should be the answer but it is.

Well yeah- look at the list.  None of the deals were made so a team could afford sign a stud prospect or promote somebody to the majors, it's moreso "we have no use for this turd, he's yours for a wad of cash."

The more apt comparison is a game of Monopoly- you land a property with hotels and are short a little cash.  You can either start selling houses/hotels and mortgaging properties, or say "I'll give you Mediterranean Ave for $250- hook a brother up!"  I swear if you play by this format, it is very easy to collude with another player and impossible to lose (except to your buddy after everyone else is eliminated, of course).

None of the deals were made so a team could afford to sign a stud prospect or promote someone to the majors because, wait for it, wait for it, because MLB teams only have self-imposed budgets.  Yep.

That's some mindblowing stuff.

The only arguments I've ever heard about not including cash worth more than salary in trades are the "it's not like that in MLB" and "you should budget properly in the first place".  Both very lame arguments.   I'd ask what the other 998 objections are....but, instead, i'll take that advice about getting into discussions with inarticulate 'tards .

I ...uh...wazzat?  ...huh? oh yeah!...uh...fergit it!...

You've only heard those arguments because you play in 'tard worlds.   I'd say "Step your your game and play in tougher worlds" but, looking at your record, they probably won't accept you.

That's actually a very effective argumentative technique- make your point and the run the hell away so the other person doesn't get in their say.  Bonus points for repeating my advice.

Personally, I don't think you should be stuck with your budgetary failures through hell and high water, but you should have to pay a price to dig yourself out of the hole- at least trade away ML salaries instead of grabbing a quick wad of cash from whoever is apathetic enough to provide it. For me, it takes away from the challenge of HBD to have access to whatever pile of cash whenever you need it.  I like to budget with a degree of precision, but it would be kinda pointless if I can miss the mark by a $1M here or $2M there knowing that somebody who has significantly less utility for cash is willing to hook me up for some POS prospect that I couldn't care less about.

So I understand if you prefer the option of selling prospects/players, but to me it takes away a dimension from a complex game which I enjoy for its complexities.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/6/2010 9:31:00 PM (view original):
You've only heard those arguments because you play in 'tard worlds.   I'd say "Step your your game and play in tougher worlds" but, looking at your record, they probably won't accept you.

well, regardless of worlds, I havent read much discussion about this issue in the forums, so maybe that's another reason why.  I actually do think i'm in very quality worlds now, maybe not so much before.  i do tend to take over horrible teams, as well, if one were to look past record alone.  

I did try to join one of your worlds once, but the guy who bailed after one season got voted in ahead of me.  The next season I declined your invitation to try again because I didn't want to add another team.