This could easily be sub-titled as “to trade or not to trade?” as we have just rounded the halfway mark in the 2010 baseball season.
You should have already done some serious assessment for each of your fantasy baseball teams, but often many leagues and many players view the All-Star break next week as the time to make major changes in their rosters. I know many leagues that have specific get togethers – everyone watching the game and having a barbeque and talking trades.
For the most part we are talking keeper leagues for these trades as in re-draft leagues there are serious problems on whether there should even be trades allowed, and in fact both the NFBC and WCOFB are specifically no-trade leagues.
Frankly while I try my best to get into the money every year in my two home keeper leagues there are times where due to injury(ies) (we have to blame something, it couldn’t really have been bad drafting could it?) you have to realize you have a team that won’t contend this year so you might as well maximize your assets.
MAXIMIZE YOUR ASSETS. That should really be the goal of each team whether they are fighting for the league crown or trying to finish 4th to get some cash this year or just to improve their draft position or minor league assets for 2011.
In keeper leagues, especially those with FARM players – whether you have small minor league rosters or unlimited slots for minor league players, keeper leagues SHOULD have some part of the roster dedicated to minor league players. It not only protects the value of the auction prices each year, but adds the developmental component that lets you really “manage” a franchise.
This also gives the league a cycling component. If your team is vastly underperforming this year, you can move your expiring contracts to the contending teams to add either a good cheaper player already in the majors or a good minor league prospect(s). You thus improve your total roster for 2011. Adding more minor league players will give you the “chips” to trade next year when you are hopefully in contention.
But do your homework. It is far easier to make a trade that will be good for both teams if you look carefully for players that will help your team or conversely players on your team that will help a team in contention. It also helps you “sell” the trade to another team. You may even find some categorical points they had overlooked.
Remember you also have to be realistic in both what you are offering and what you accept in these “rebuilding” trades. There is a thread in the forums about making a trade with a friend who is contending for their league title. There is certainly not a problem helping a friend with a trade…..AS LONG AS
- You are getting “market value” for your players; and
- You have given the opportunity to trade valuable players to ALL the contenders. (this doesn’t mean offering the same player to all teams although if you have Albert Pujols in the last year of his contract you should have sent a league email or email to each team to not only get maximum value for him but to not play favorites in determining who might win your league).
Don’t be one of those guys who fail to improve their team or their league.
Get Active and call the other owners (emails are often so impersonal)
Improve your team – whether it is your 2010 team or your team for 2011.
NOW is the time.{jcomments on}