MiLB FA Rule Change Proposal

[Pirates GM (Daniel)]

Waiver Wire Proposal:

The Issue: As the system currently stands as a free for all, if you are able to respond to a newly dropped list immediately, you are able to get the best unrostered prospects no questions asked, as long as you haven’t used your two claims for the days. This raises a couple of concerns for me:

1. For those of us with jobs with certain demands, we are at an inherent disadvantage. We are not able to sit by at 9am every day, hoping Fangraphs drops their lists (to use an example that was given) and responding immediately with a quick trigger finger. This also applies to anyone not in the US time zones (or even in the US time zones – folks on the West Coast would need to be up consistently prior to 6am daily to have a shot at the Fangraphs lists, and most days a list won’t even be released). This gives a massive advantage to anyone who has the luxury to be able to respond immediately to a list’s posting and grab the top two unclaimed prospects.
   
   
2. It disincentivizes research. I understand that a concern was raised that for certain individuals, a change to the current system would discourage them. However, I’d argue that the current system disincentivizes anyone who falls into the category of the first concern I raised (time constraints). Why do the research if one single GM (or a few) will consistently, without fail, beat them to the punch solely because they have the time free to be able to do so?
   
   

 
I’ve seen others raise a bit of concern over this, but MiLB FA did not seem to be a popular solution. So I started thinking about a solution, and, judging by the responses on the chat, there seems to be some support.


Waiver System

These are the Fantrax settings I’m proposing to start a waiver system (Fantrax will call it a Free Agent bidding system, but it is, in spirit, the same thing.



What this would mean, essentially, is that everyone would enter their desired claims on Fantrax, and then the Priority Order would take care of who gets the prospects. Let’s break down the settings, then I’ll discuss the ramifications:

• Advanced Pending Claim/Bid Controls: This lets owners create contingency groups (say I see 2 catcher prospects and 1 OF prospect. I know that I want the OF, but only one of the Cs, I can create 2 groups, one for the OF and one for the Cs). But more importantly, it allows you to set a max amount of prospects for each group. It would be imperative on the GM to make sure to set the max claims to 2.
• Reverse Order of Standings, Claim Resets and Rotating Claims: I’d propose to set the free agency priority order once – at the end of the league year, and then allow prospects to be claimed as is based on the system. No resetting the priority order weekly. Once a claim is made, the claimant then rotates to the end of the priority order (i.e. if the Pirates have the highest claim priority, but I claim a prospect, I would then rotate back to #30 until the next claim is made, same for every other team). That way, theoretically, every team can have an opportunity to be first in priority order (or at least first in priority among teams submitting a claim)
• Daily Free Agent Processing:– These claims would be processed at 12am EST each day, just essentially like the current system
• # of FA players each team gets on his turn: 1 – that way, if you have priority claim, you don’t automatically get the top two players off any given list. Everyone has an equitable shot.
• Pending and Failed Claims Visible To: Set only to owners, this ensures blind bidding.

Summary (tl;dr): It’s basically a waiver system, rotating with each claim, where you can claim (as long as the GM remembers to select the option) a maximum of 2 prospects per day. Basically the current system, just removing the time advantages some GMs have. Also, after the claims go through, post them on the forum board.

Pros:

• This still heavily incentivizes research for those looking to prospect. And time is still a concern. If you aren’t looking at prospect lists the day they come out, you’re not going to get the prospects. Like Mike said in the chat: “You're still rewarded for checking lists and trying to be proactive because there are probably only a handful of managers that are going to do that any given day. Even if your 30th in order that day, there's a chance no one else has seen that particular list that day”
• It’s still blind bidding – you don’t have to tip off others to the prospects you’re looking at. In fact, if you have 4/5 prospects, you can put them all in, and then if some don’t get claimed, put them in tomorrow, no one will know you were in on them.
• It removes the time advantages some owners have, which makes the current system inherently unfair.
• It is not a drastic change in spirit from what is currently in place. The only difference is the location of where claims first happen, and the removal of the rushed time component.
  

Cons:

• Not every prospect is in Fantrax’s database
• Major League FAs and IFAs wouldn’t be able to just be picked up as easily as they can be now
  
• Learning curve?
• If someone forgets to set their maximum at two and gets more, someone will have to be dropped and people will know which prospects you were interested in.

Workarounds for Cons:

• If a player is not in Fantrax’s database, they become free-for-all eligible – able to be claimed with the current process on the board. That way, you don’t have to tip off others in the league when they get an email that a player has been added to Fantrax’s database
• Two options for MLB FAs and IFAs:
  
  • Commissioners put those players on the rosters. This means more work for the League Office.
    • One potential workaround beyond this: Disallow MiLB bidding for a specific amount of time in the offseason (2 weeks/3 weeks), during which MLB free agency is happening. That way, the commissioners do not have to sort through and process every free agent signing during the most intensive period. Everyone would be in the same boat, and most prospect lists are not coming out in October.
  • Use the Advanced Claim options to set separate groups – one (or two) for your desired MiLB claims, which is your highest priority group(s), and then one for the FAs you win. As long as no one trolls around and puts in a competing claim for those players, they’re yours at midnight EST.
    • The downside to this option would be that it would rotate your priority order with the non-MiLB free agents. Which is less than ideal.
• I don’t see much of a learning curve, but change is weird and frightening at times. Here’s what both a non-grouped claim would look like and one that uses groups:
  • In this example, I have a clear order in which I value these top prospects. I just want the top two prospects I can get.
    • 
      
  • In this second example, I want one infielder and one outfielder, but want the infielder more. I have separated them into groups and told Fantrax I want one from Group 1 and one from Group 2. If any are left when my priority order comes up both times, I’ll get the highest remaining from Group 1 and then the highest remaining from Group 2
    • 
      
• That last one? That’s on the GMs. If you don’t follow the steps right, there’s consequences.
  

[Pirates GM (Daniel)]

Ignore the max of 7 prospects I have per week in the first screen grab. I meant to put 14 (2 per day)

[Cincinnati Reds - Chris]

I like this. Great detail and work.

Brings some fairness on points I hadn't thought of like people in other time zones, etc..

Suggestion:

Players that aren't in the Fantrax database, not be a free-for-all, because we'll end up in the same place back here asking for a change on this change when I or a couple others who dig on International prospects are constantly getting kids off the IFA market who weren't selected in the initial IFA signing week/month.

I would suggest Managers request their prospect through Fantrax, Prospect gets added to the database along with the corresponding Fantrax email advising as such and then player would be on waivers and eligible to be selected the day he's added.

[doubleupagus]

I'll have to look at this more, but for someone like me who doesn't spend hours poring over spec lists and doing the research, I'm fine with it. Reality is there will always be an inherent advantage to those who are prepared to put in the work and that's OK -- in fact, probably as it should be.

[KeithTorGM]

Pirates is the guy from the Dos Equis commercials. Writes screenplays, crafts insanely intricate policy chang s for his free fantasy baseball league…..what more can this man do? I am on board after initial reluctance

[Cincinnati Reds - Chris]

If other Managers are fine with this suggestion and it passes in a vote.

I'd be fine with this being implemented immediately seeing as Prospect Lists are always dropping and MiLB free agency is fluid year round.

Unless someone has a reason why not to implement immediately and has a timeline they prefer.

[Arizona D'backs (Sean)]

I have no problem with this system. Agree with both of the suggestions that Chris made as well.

[Ian (Baltimore)]

It’s possible I missed it as it was long read and don’t mind the change. But is this something done in the app or only browser/laptop?

[Cincinnati Reds - Chris]

Another question.

Say I have a queue of 10 players and I win 2. Does my remaining player queue exist for the following day and if I don't clear it, will win more players and thus have to drop more players?

Basically saying does your player queue have to be maintained daily?

[doubleupagus]

There is one issue I would raise.

If the maximum number of claims per week is set at 14, Fantrax will allow all 14 of those claims in the first day if you make them, so that will need to be considered, since that will run counter to the two picks per day rule. It likely won't matter all that much except in the first day after the draft.

[BrewCrewGM]

Alright what the hell, I’m sold.

[Red Sox]

I like this too. When someone wins a player, will they be required to post they won in the free agent thread on proboards or will someone do it daily? This is a good way to push people to pick up players on fantrax.

If the player isn't in fantrax will they be required to request the player first and then bid on the player once the player is added on fantrax?

[cleguardiansmike]

I'm on board with the change, very well thought out solution.

[Pirates GM (Daniel)]

Dec 22, 2023 9:03:34 GMT -5 KeithTorGM said:

Pirates is the guy from the Dos Equis commercials. Writes screenplays, crafts insanely intricate policy chang s for his free fantasy baseball league…..what more can this man do? I am on board after initial reluctance

It's called autism, lol. But I'm also an actor, dialect coach, theater educator/teaching artist, and trying to add professor to that list. Also a salesman in my survival job.

Dec 22, 2023 9:01:58 GMT -5 doubleupagus said:

I'll have to look at this more, but for someone like me who doesn't spend hours poring over spec lists and doing the research, I'm fine with it. Reality is there will always be an inherent advantage to those who are prepared to put in the work and that's OK -- in fact, probably as it should be.

I agree that there should be an inherent advantage to those who are prepared to put in the work. I just personally think there needs to be some equity, so that it comes down to the willingness to do the work, not having a specific hour of the clock when you have free time.

Dec 22, 2023 13:03:34 GMT -5 Ian (Baltimore) said:

It’s possible I missed it as it was long read and don’t mind the change. But is this something done in the app or only browser/laptop?

Just tried it in the test league I set up in the mobile app. Works perfectly there too.

Dec 22, 2023 13:09:35 GMT -5 Cincinnati Reds - Chris said:

Another question.

Say I have a queue of 10 players and I win 2. Does my remaining player queue exist for the following day and if I don't clear it, will win more players and thus have to drop more players?

Basically saying does your player queue have to be maintained daily?

I don't believe it would still exist for the next day, you'd have to maintain it.

Dec 22, 2023 15:27:27 GMT -5 doubleupagus said:

There is one issue I would raise.

If the maximum number of claims per week is set at 14, Fantrax will allow all 14 of those claims in the first day if you make them, so that will need to be considered, since that will run counter to the two picks per day rule. It likely won't matter all that much except in the first day after the draft.

Honestly, we could probably just not set the weekly limit at all. It's on the owner to make sure they select the option that only allows two claims to go through. It's a really easy thing to set that you'll see at the top of the two claim examples, where it says "Group 1 Max 2" or "Group 1 Max 1" "Group 2 Max 1" respectively. If an owner forgets to set that, they'd be forced to keep only two and drop any others they got due to the error. That would obviously tip off others to who you're interested in, but in that case, that's because of your own error (also, clearly mean you in a general sense, not a specific one).

Dec 22, 2023 18:25:14 GMT -5 Red Sox said:

I like this too. When someone wins a player, will they be required to post they won in the free agent thread on proboards or will someone do it daily? This is a good way to push people to pick up players on fantrax.

If the player isn't in fantrax will they be required to request the player first and then bid on the player once the player is added on fantrax?

Yes, I would say we should still require a prospect claim, once it's successful on Fantrax, to be made on Proboards.

Yes, I think your second question would be correct too. I was initially offering a concession, but as Chris suggested above, I think that's fair too. Plus, we're not the only league that's suggesting players to add, so it may not be someone from this board who's interested in a prospect being added to Fantrax

[Cincinnati Reds - Chris]

Are there any thoughts on going forward with a vote on this?

[BrewCrewGM]

i think there’s a pretty clear consensus but we can put up an official poll

[St. Louis Cardinals (Andrew)]

I’m more than happy for this to go to a vote, should pass easily from the comments.

If anyone has any major objections, please let me know ASAP.

[WhiteSox]

Definitely good with this!

[Ben (Mariners GM)]

Seems like a great approach. Thanks to Pirates for doing the thinking.