Quote: Originally Posted By randallball on 9/30/2009
So just add 500+ players to the FA pool by cutting 500 players from the draft?

Again, do you see how the roster filling would be much more unbalanced if the draft were cut and it was simply a minor league FA feeding frenzy?

Instead of 1 or 2 teams not having a HiA SS as it is now, you could have 1 minor league franchise grab 15-20 of the 50 available FA minor league SS. That is the way it worked back in the first several seasons of most worlds when minor league FA were aplenty.

Unsigned College Seniors should be FA after the draft if they are undrafted OR unsigned, but I think if they toy with the length of the draft, they are just asking for more minor league indifference from most owners.



Minor league FA signing period. Just like before the season. "I like your offer and your franchise and, if I had to sign today, I'd be on a plane. But I don't have to sign today. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009
Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it.

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009You have to promote players to keep them from retiring. There are enough players in each draft to fill out a rookie league roster for 32 teams. You just can't leave them in rookie, LoA, HiA forever


That's the problem. People leave them in the low minors for so long, that the majority of them retire, further escalating the problem of a lack of minor league players at certain positions.

I used to do the same thing, but realized quickly that it wasn't productive to do so at certain positions, C, SS, and CF being especially primary, because I could never find replacements in F.A. Therefore, I will promote them a level most times, even if they aren't especially "qualified" to do so, just to maintain depth.

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it

Quote: Originally Posted By tecwrg on 9/30/2009

My main problem with shortening the draft is that with a shortened draft I would have to do more work to fill out my RL roster than I do today.

Under the current system, I sign everybody I draft (assuming they're not asking for $8m at the 17th pick), and I'm pretty much done.

Under a shortened draft / TC FA system, I then have to take extra time to go to TC to sign both pitchers and position players to fill out my RL roster.

I don't see how making more work for people is a better system.

I understand where you're coming from with this . . . most draftees below the 10th round are garbage. I agree. But forcing me to do more work to fill out my rosters with warm bodies / garbage seems counter-productive.

I'd be fine with TC position players, in fact I'd love to see them because there are definitely times when you just need to find a cheap, warm body to fill out a roster, you don't really care how good or bad they are. But don't do it at the expense of a shortened draft. It's just not necessary.

Make the TC position players get automatically generated and refreshed in just the same manner as the TC pitchers are today. Problem solved.

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009
Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it.

Quote: Originally Posted By randallball on 9/30/2009
Minor league FA period after the signing period after the draft?

OK, now you have incomplete Rookie League rosters for the first several games of the season, assuming you did promote players.

The picture isn't getting any clearer, Mike. The problem is just being compounded.



So, in CAPB, the rookie season starts the cycle after the draft? Really? Is that really how it works? Really?

Quote: Originally Posted By tecwrg on 9/30/2009

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009
Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it.

Why wouldn't an automatically generated TC PP pool (just like the automatically generated TC pitcher pool) solve the problem? Why does the TC PP pool need to be tied to a shortened draft?

That's the missing piece of your idea. An explanation as to WHY the two have to go together.



They don't. But, as discussed in another thread, no one should expect the TC PP to be anything more that good stamina 1B/LF who can't hit. If they are, the last 15 rounds of the draft are even more pointless.

Quote: Originally Posted By toddcommish on 9/30/2009

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009
Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it.

Actually, depending on when that pool is established, I would be one of the beneficiaries since I would make sure to be online at that moment to sign EVERY SINGLE reasonable fielder at that point, and screw over the rest of the league.

But while good for the development of my minor league pitchers, doesn't really help the league at all.

The draft is to give everyone a fair shot (not time-zone dependent) at getting 25 fresh new players every year. If you shorten the draft to 10 rounds, some guy who is away from the computer for that FA feeding frenzy won't get his fair share of decent players.

The draft guarantees that he gets 20-25 players that he's likely seen in his draft prospects list, and had a chance to rank, and maybe 3 or 4 unknowns.



Minor league FA signing period. Already addressed.

Quote: Originally Posted By iain on 9/30/2009

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 9/30/2009
Sounds like you two are more concerned about YOUR franchise and less about the world overall. That's fine but just say it.

I'd say quite the opposite... a few diligent owners will get all the SS & C FAs, while the average owner will get a good LF to play 2B.

Do you really think this benefits a world overall????



Minor league FA signing period. Already addressed.