League Format: Alternate WIS Format E (162 games, 16 teams, NL:4/4/0, AL:4/4/0, balanced, interleague)
Keepers: Exactly 15 keepers plus unlimited IR, due by game 100.
- If you are keeping a player with a split season, you need to specify which version you plan to use, and then you will be locked into using that version the next season. If such a player is traded during the next year's draft, the player's new owner can use any version they choose.
- If you somehow find yourself unable to keep 15 players, there will be a $5 million penalty added to your keeper total for each player you are short.
Draft:
- The draft will be 10 rounds with 16 picks each round. The draft order will be determined by the total salary of 15 keepers and IR players (50% of value of next active season salary), with the lowest salary picking first, the second lowest picking second, etc. in all rounds except the first. New for 1973: The top six picks of the first round will be determined by an equally-weighted lottery of the lowest six keeper salaries.
- Any trades during the draft must result in all parties to the trade ending up with exactly 25 players at the conclusion of the 10th round of the draft, so there will be no extra picks added on like in some other leagues. For example, if I traded a second round pick for two third round picks, I would need to give up one additional draft pick or a keeper to make the trade valid.
- In the event an owner cannot keep 15 players, they will make any additional needed picks after the 10th round is complete.
- If the commissioner incorrectly does not cross off a keeper on the draft board, and that keeper is drafted by someone else, the owner who drafted the player will get the player in question and the owner who kept the player will lose him and be given a compensatory pick. The exception to this rule is if the error is noticed before any more players are picked.
- New for 1968: Junk Pool. Starting with the 1968 draft, we will add terrible players to be used as roster filler to compensate for the shrinking player pool. A list of such players will be provided below. Each junk player will be exclusive to the team who drafts them, and junk players cannot be kept for the following season.
Junk Pool:
Pitchers:
2017 Chris Tillman
2020 Julio Teheran
2020 Robbie Ray (Arizona partial only)
2020 Steven Matz
2020 Zack Godley
2020 Michael Fulmer
2020 Brandon Bielak
2011 Esmil Rogers
2015 David Buchanan
2021 Jake Arrieta (combined season only)
Catchers:
1885 George Baker
1885 Tony Cusick
2019 Jeff Mathis
1885 Jackie Hayes
2020 Robinson Chirinos (combined Mets only)
First Basemen:
1896 Pete Cassidy
1894 Luke Lutenberg
Second Basemen:
1886 Sam Crane (Detroit partial only)
1885 Jack Burdock
1888 Jack Burdock (Brooklyn partial only)
2020 Josh VanMeter (Arizona combined only)
1897 Jim Rogers
1888 Frank Hankinson
Third Basemen:
2010 Brandon Wood
1886 Buck Gladman
1892 Bill Kuehne (Louisville partial only)
2015 Casey McGehee (San Francisco combined only)
Shortstops:
1889 Charlie Bastian
1888 Shorty Fuller
1885 Marr Phillips (Detroit partial only)
1890 Henry Easterday (Columbus combined only)
1892 Jimmy Cooney (Chicago partial only)
1886 Davy Force
Outfielders:
1890 Tom Dowse
2020 Phillip Ervin (Cincinnati combined only)
1892 Dave Foutz
2020 Willie Calhoun
2020 Domingo Santana
2016 Tyler Goeddel
AAA: 6/2 below average, randomly generated, real names
Injuries: On
DH: Off
Waiver Wire: Off
Add/Drop after the draft: No
Transaction Deadline: Off (midnight EST after game 159)
Trades: Yes, deadline is game 100, draft picks can only be traded one season in advance. Any trades involving draft picks before the draft must leave each team with exactly 10 picks. Also, each team must have a minimum of 22 real MLB players at all times (majors or minors it does not matter). Otherwise, non-contending teams would be dumping all 10 non-keepers for pennies on the dollar. Trades can also be vetoed if six or more owners vote against it (but please reserve this for outrageously lopsided trades, call it the arvidjosef rule.)
Note that the trading deadline above applies to trades of players within the ongoing season. There is a moratorium on trading between the in-season trade deadline until the draft board and order is fully posted. Once the draft begins (which will be after the trading deadline but before the end of the season) owners are free to trade draft picks and keepers, and all such trades involving keepers will not take effect until the following season.
Stadium: Must use a stadium active in that MLB season. When a stadium becomes obsolete, you can relocate to any available stadium, and you will never be forced to move to the stadium of a different franchise unless that franchise has been contracted (for example, if you're in Yankee Stadium (II) you're guaranteed Yankee Stadium (I) if you want it). Returning owners are allowed to change stadiums one time (other than when a stadium becomes obsolete).