Losing an RFA

[Dan Wood]

Are we going to have protected picks just like MLB?

[Colby]

Are we going to have protected picks just like MLB?

What and how are picks protected?

[Canada8999]

We allow trading of RFA.  Small market teams are granted more RFA tags.  This helps the rebuilding as you can use an RFA tag on a high value FA and earn a supplemental pick on them if they don't sign with your team.  Other than that, simply trading for prospects and putting bonus money toward top prospects (scouting) will help turn around a team in the future.

To clarify, a player that has been tagged as an RFA can be traded, but they must be immediately extended by the receiving team.  An actual RFA tag itself cannot be traded, and a player that was tagged and received in a trade cannot be then let walk away for picks.

Trading RFA
A player may be traded while tagged as RFA during the off-season period in which free agency has not begun.  The player then must be signed to a contract extension by the new team.

[Canada8999]

What and how are picks protected?

Something like if you're in the top 15 of the draft and sign a Type A player you don't forfeit your high 1st rounder (I think instead you may give up your 2nd, but that might not be true).

[Dan Wood]

It is the top 15 picks. I believe you get a supplemental and a second round pick. The Red Sox received a S-1 and the Mets 2nd pick for Jason Bay.

[Canada8999]

And if a team signs multiple Type A RFA's, I believe the picks are awarded based on the ranking of the players lost

- We'll need to not actually move picks until all RFA's have been finalized
- Need a way to determine which RFA's were ranked higher across positions
- What happens for the team that had the lesser ranked RFA?  Do they get the signing team's 2nd round pick?  An extra S1?

[Dan Wood]

I am not very familiar with the rules, but I believe the team with the lesser RFA would get a supplemental pick, and then you start going into the later rounds. We should all take the case of the Yankees last year with 3 Type A's as how to handle this. I also think the best way to break up the players if multiple Type A's are signed is by points per game.

[Colby]

And if a team signs multiple Type A RFA's, I believe the picks are awarded based on the ranking of the players lost

- We'll need to not actually move picks until all RFA's have been finalized
- Need a way to determine which RFA's were ranked higher across positions
- What happens for the team that had the lesser ranked RFA?  Do they get the signing team's 2nd round pick?  An extra S1?

Comparing RFAs of two different positions could be done on a points per game basis as Dan suggested.  I think a simple rule (we could always adjust this) is that say you have the Yankees who sign three big FA...

Teixeira
Sabathia
Burnett

That is the order of fantasy points per game in 2008 (off the top of my head).  The Angels would receive the Yankees 1st rounder and an S-1 pick.  The Brewers would receive the Yankees 2nd rounder and an S-1 pick.  The Blue Jays would receive the Yankees 3rd rounder an an S-1 pick.  Alternatively, we could say that the Brewers and Blue Jays would each receive two S-1 picks.

How do we then order the supplementary picks?  How is it done in MLB?  I don't think it goes by the normal order (reverse of standings).  It appears to go by value.  The above case would warrant the Brewers the highest S-1.  We could order it like so...

Type A FA (in which 1st rounder was not available)
Type A FA
Type B FA

[Canada8999]

I'd be fine with total points, but Points per Game would weigh SP's too highly (play far fewer games):

In 2008:
Tex: 3827 PTS, 25PTS/GM
CC: 2654 PTS, 76 PTS/GM
AJ: 2270 PTS, 65 PTS/GM

Order for the Supplemental Round does go by ranking of the RFA's lost.

I'd say we give teams that don't get the signing team's 1st (either because the signed a higher ranked RFA, or the pick was protected because the signing team was in the top 15), then we give them an additional S1.  We'll award the S1's based on RFA rankings, and then after those grant additional S1's again using RFA ranking where needed:

1-ATL (from NYY)
S1-ATL
S1-MIL
S1-TOR
S1-MIL
S1-TOR

My reasoning is if Toronto loses a Type A RFA, why should they only get a 3rd rounder just because their guy signed with NYY, but if he signed somewhere else they'd get a 1st (even before the supplemental)?

[Colby]

I'd be fine with total points, but Points per Game would weigh SP's too highly (play far fewer games):

In 2008:
Tex: 3827 PTS, 25PTS/GM
CC: 2654 PTS, 76 PTS/GM
AJ: 2270 PTS, 65 PTS/GM

Order for the Supplemental Round does go by ranking of the RFA's lost.

I'd say we give teams that don't get the signing team's 1st (either because the signed a higher ranked RFA, or the pick was protected because the signing team was in the top 15), then we give them an additional S1.  We'll award the S1's based on RFA rankings, and then after those grant additional S1's again using RFA ranking where needed:

1-ATL (from NYY)
S1-ATL
S1-MIL
S1-TOR
S1-MIL
S1-TOR

My reasoning is if Toronto loses a Type A RFA, why should they only get a 3rd rounder just because their guy signed with NYY, but if he signed somewhere else they'd get a 1st (even before the supplemental)?

That proposal works for me Ben.  The points per games does give the pitchers the edge (understatement), so we can do it by total points instead.