NL American Association Team 5 & 6 are orphaned going into the 2020 season. You can view the league rosters at: [www.scoresheet.com]
We are a 10 team NL keeper league that plays with modified rules.
For example:
We limit the number of “Veteran” keepers to 6.
When a veteran player is drafted he is tagged with an expiration date. He must go back into the draft after a maximum of 3 seasons.
We have exceptions for “Rookie” and “Super 2” players.
We have monthly Supplemental drafts.
We allow rosters to fluctuate during the regular season (example 2 for 1 trades) but trades involving next season draft picks must be balanced (everyone starts with 35 roster spots each season).
We feel that limiting the number of keepers and limiting the length an owner can hold a player promotes better competition. It keeps the draft pool stocked with better players, making the pre-season draft more fun and important than leagues that keep more players. Leagues which hold 10-12 players can get very unbalanced after a few years and owners get frustrated and quit. Turnover is the enemy of any keeper league.
Most MLB teams don’t have unlimited resources. Keeping fewer players and eventually losing them to contract expiration mimic the state of baseball. Building a team thru good draft picks, rookie development and smart trades is our model. We are challenging each owner to build and maintain a competitive club in a realistic way.
If a player is traded, the length of time remaining on his American Association contract is also traded. When you make trade, you must factor how long you can control a player. Are you willing to give up a good player with 2.5 years of control, for a better “go for it this season” player with only half a season remaining?
In addition to the 6 Veteran players, we allow owners to protect Rookies (defined as no more than ML 130/AB or 50/IP) and a group of “Tweeners” called “Super 2” players (defined as career 250/AB or 95/IP). We allow owners to mix and match up to 4 of these players in exchange for designated mid to late round draft slots.
Once a Rookie crosses the 130AB/50IP threshold his contract becomes active and the expiration clock is started. You can draft and hold onto a rookie as long as you are willing to use up a roster spot. Some rookies are held for a few years before they cross the threshold. Acuna and Soto were worth the wait…but most prospects aren’t. You must decide how to best utilize the precious roster slots. Once they become active MLB players with 130AB or 50/IP the clock begins on their 4 year expiration date.
We have monthly Supplemental Drafts where you can add up to 3 players. But if you want to add 3 players…you must cut 3 players. MLB has 40 man rosters, we have 35 man rosters. This prevents stockpiling and encourages more interaction/trades.
There are other minor rules and nuances not included above.
If you are interested, please contact me. I am happy to answer your questions and will provide the expiration dates of all the players on the available teams as well as the rest of the league.
davidsidlin@yahoo.com
Cheers. David Sidlin.