Possible Rule Amendment - Sign and Trade

[lp815]

I'm going to agree that the both 'sign-and-trade' or 'trade-and-sign' not be allowed during the off-season and the 5-day period after the season also not be allowed.  My example, and I'll pick on Mr. Yergey and his Brewers, as he had the most star studded lineup this last season:

If Ben was required to sign his 6 stars (Werth, Pujols, Fielder, Gallardo, Lee, Wigginton) before he traded them, and was allowed a 5 day window to re-signe them after the season to do so, this could be skirted, though not easily.  He could just sign them, one at a time, then trade them individually right after they were signed.  Keep in mind the 5 day window wouldn't have necessarily meant Ben had to sign all of his stars at once, but he could have simply signed them just before he traded them.  The other team was going to be re-signing said players regardless. 

It doesn't really matter if we aren't allowed to trade expiring contracts if we are still allowed to trade those players on expiring contracts that are re-signed within the 5 day window.  As my example provides, Ben would have been able to move all of his stars anyway, whether he was forced to re-sign them before he traded them or not.

I would recommend that expiring contracts are only allowed to be traded before the July trade deadline in season.  After that, they must either be re-signed by their current team, or let go.

[Dan Wood]

I agree with Jake. But I do believe that giving a team 5 days, or more, to move other players already under contract, in order to create cap, should also be considered. For instance, if Ben (sorry to use you again Ben) was to trade Haren, in order to sign Werth, I think moves like that should be allowed. My reasoning for the 5 day plus window, is because in order to make a deal, some teams are still minding their football teams, and may not be active, or tending to their baseball teams. As I have argued before, this is a hobby, GMs in real life are at arms reach at any time because they get paid very well to be there.

[lp815]

I agree with Jake. But I do believe that giving a team 5 days, or more, to move other players already under contract, in order to create cap, should also be considered. For instance, if Ben (sorry to use you again Ben) was to trade Haren, in order to sign Werth, I think moves like that should be allowed. My reasoning for the 5 day plus window, is because in order to make a deal, some teams are still minding their football teams, and may not be active, or tending to their baseball teams. As I have argued before, this is a hobby, GMs in real life are at arms reach at any time because they get paid very well to be there.

I'd have no problem with trading players during the off-season, as long as no players involved are under expired contracts.  As long has Haren's contract didn't expire the same year as Werth's, that would be permissible in my opinion.

If we did allow the 5 days to re-sign after the season, instituting the 60 day policy on newly signed players would prevent teams from signing a player and then immediately trading him away for other purposes.  In theory, the season is officially over, so these men do not have contracts...thus, they would be new signs.

[Dan Wood]

My one stipulation is that players that are re-signed should be treated as OFAs, and cannot be traded until 6/1

[Colby]

My one stipulation is that players that are re-signed should be treated as OFAs, and cannot be traded until 6/1

 :iatp:

[bravesfan4]

My one stipulation is that players that are re-signed should be treated as OFAs, and cannot be traded until 6/1

I disagree. By doing that you are now putting even more emphasis on Free Agency, Thus making over spending on terrible contracts a must if you want to improve your team now. Its gona feed into the problem we are trying to fix in so many leagues.

[Colby]

If we did allow the 5 days to re-sign after the season, instituting the 60 day policy on newly signed players would prevent teams from signing a player and then immediately trading him away for other purposes.  In theory, the season is officially over, so these men do not have contracts...thus, they would be new signs.

This was our problem this year... these players could be traded whereas they should be treated as an early FA signing.  Of course, a team could just trade such players two months later.  With the advent of arbitration extensions and extensions (non-PE) that take place the year after the contract ends, I think there is less and less need to have any window at all immediately after the season.  However, in real life, Adrian Gonzalez was not under contract and was traded to the Red Sox, so perhaps a window should be given only to small market teams?  Like in real life, sign your player, trade them, or lose them to FA (unless you trade said player to a team that signs the player).  The team that signs the player should not be allowed to trade that player for 60 days.

[bravesfan4]

This was our problem this year... these players could be traded whereas they should be treated as an early FA signing.  Of course, a team could just trade such players two months later.  With the advent of arbitration extensions and extensions (non-PE) that take place the year after the contract ends, I think there is less and less need to have any window at all immediately after the season.  However, in real life, Adrian Gonzalez was not under contract and was traded to the Red Sox, so perhaps a window should be given only to small market teams?  Like in real life, sign your player, trade them, or lose them to FA (unless you trade said player to a team that signs the player).  The team that signs the player should not be allowed to trade that player for 60 days.

60 days to wait for resigning a player whether in season or immediately following is a much better idea

[Dan Wood]

I think all players should have a contract by the start of FA. Once resigned, they should be treated as OFAs. In the league rules, OFA's cannot be dealt until 6/1.

[Colby]

I think all players should have a contract by the start of FA. Once resigned, they should be treated as OFAs. In the league rules, OFA's cannot be dealt until 6/1.

If all players had a contract by FA then there would be no FA?