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Big_E
04-04-03, 08:53 AM
I searched and searched and could not find an answer to this question. (I even asked it previously (http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php?postid=744996#post744996), but never got an answer so here we go again):

Let's say a manager has four players on his roster on the DL. Then another player, say a first round draft pick, incurs a season-ending injury. Since there's no more room on his DL, he has to either:

a) Keep the injured player on the active roster, sitting on the bench, or
b) Release the player.

Now lets say, the manager releases the player. No need to keep him on the bench taking up a spot since he won't play this season, and as a first-round pick he can't be a keeper for 2004 anyway.

The question is, once the player clears waivers, if he is picked up by a new manager, is the manager bound by the original draft position, or is it counted as a free agent pickup, same as an undrafted player? I know in trades, you are bound by the original draft position, just as in real life you are bound by the player's contract, but if someone is released and you sign them off waivers in real life, you can sign them for the major-league minimum since the other team is paying the terms of the original contract. So I would think that if a player gets released by their original team here, and picked up by someone else, for keeper rules they should be counted the same as a player who went undrafted.

Now for me, in signing Trevor Hoffman, it doesn't make a HUGE difference, since as an 18th round draft pick this year, I can sign him in the 16th round next year, 14th in 2005, 12th in 2006 and 10th in 2007; or in the 20th round next year, 18th in 2005, 16th in 2006 and 14th in 2007. Either way, as long as Hoffman recovers, it's a lifetime contract. But I would like to know, is he treated as an undrafted player since he was released, or a drafted one? Like I said, I think he should be considered undrafted, since he was given his unconditional release, just like in the major leagues, and I should be able to sign him for the minimum.

Hope this all made sense.

#1PaFan
04-04-03, 01:00 PM
Why couldn't you release a player already on the DL to make room for him there? At least that would be another option.

Big_E
04-04-03, 01:15 PM
That was option B, release the player.

Let's say I have 4 players on the DL right now, and Pedro incurs a season ending injury. (We are limited to 4 players on the DL at any one time). My 4 players already on the DL are expected back this season, so I don't want to drop them, since they can help me eventually. But Pedro, being a 1st round pick, is not a keeper for me for next year. So rather than waste a bench position for him I release him. The question is....if someone were to pick him up, would Pedro count as a 1st round pick (which is where he counts for me) and therefore NOT a keeper for his new owner, or a free agent/waiver acquisition, and therefore the equivalent of a 22nd round pick, and a keeper for the next 11 years?

If Pedro could be counted as a 22nd round pick (which is what I think should happen) then that adds a level of strategy to the game. Do I then keep Pedro as a wasted spot THIS year, just to avoid a competing GM from signing him to a lifetime deal? If I do that, he re-enters the draft next year, and would probably be taken in one of the first two rounds.

Soriambi
04-04-03, 04:32 PM
Originally posted by Big_E
That was option B, release the player.

Let's say I have 4 players on the DL right now, and Pedro incurs a season ending injury. (We are limited to 4 players on the DL at any one time). My 4 players already on the DL are expected back this season, so I don't want to drop them, since they can help me eventually. But Pedro, being a 1st round pick, is not a keeper for me for next year. So rather than waste a bench position for him I release him. The question is....if someone were to pick him up, would Pedro count as a 1st round pick (which is where he counts for me) and therefore NOT a keeper for his new owner, or a free agent/waiver acquisition, and therefore the equivalent of a 22nd round pick, and a keeper for the next 11 years?

If Pedro could be counted as a 22nd round pick (which is what I think should happen) then that adds a level of strategy to the game. Do I then keep Pedro as a wasted spot THIS year, just to avoid a competing GM from signing him to a lifetime deal? If I do that, he re-enters the draft next year, and would probably be taken in one of the first two rounds.

I was wondering about this too. Also, what if you pick up a player who was not drafted?

Big_E
04-04-03, 07:05 PM
That one's been answered :)

A player who was not drafted is counted as a 22nd round pick, and therefore can be a keeper in the 20th round.

patrick.o
04-05-03, 11:02 AM
Originally posted by Big_E
since as an 18th round draft pick this year, I can sign him in the 16th round next year, 14th in 2005, 12th in 2006 and 10th in 2007
I can't help but notice that you aren't planning on winning any championships in the near future :D :lol:

patrick.o
04-05-03, 11:06 AM
Originally posted by Big_E

If Pedro could be counted as a 22nd round pick (which is what I think should happen) then that adds a level of strategy to the game. Do I then keep Pedro as a wasted spot THIS year, just to avoid a competing GM from signing him to a lifetime deal? If I do that, he re-enters the draft next year, and would probably be taken in one of the first two rounds.
This is exactly why he can't be regarded as a 22nd pick. If we had deeper benches, maybe, but with a 4 man bench you can't expect an owner to hold on to him all season long. And it's completely unfair that the owner who just so happens to have the highest waiver priority then would be able to lock him up for the rest of his career.

Saxmania
04-05-03, 12:27 PM
You've got to pick up his salary as it was agreed at the start of the season - that is, his draft position. Sorry. Otherwise the whole thing would get a little crazy, as patrick rightly pointed out.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

Big_E
04-05-03, 01:26 PM
So even if a player is waived, you have to abide by his original draft position? I knew you did for trades, which is like it is in the majors, where you accept the contract. But if you pick up a waived player (like someone signing Shane Reynolds) you only have to pay him the major league minimum, while his former team pays his full contract.

Saxmania
04-05-03, 01:58 PM
That's true, but it does open up the possibility of someone dropping a good player so that another owner can pick him up from the waiver wire immediately, thus re-setting his draft position to 22. In other words:

Team A and Team B are 1st and 2nd on the waiver wire. Team B releases Player 1, a top starting pircher, who is claimed from waivers by Team A. Team B is now first on the waiver wire, and Team A reciprocates by dropping Player 2, another top starting pitcher, who is immediately claimed from waivers by Team B.

Both teams have now re-set their players' draft levels by swapping players.

Admittedly, it's highly unlikely and collusive, but the principle of the thing seems wrong - because we're using draft position instead of salary, someone's got to pay the piper, and in the above case, no-one does. Agreed?

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

Big_E
04-05-03, 10:06 PM
OK, makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. :)

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