GMs,
As I travel to various sites and eateries in London, Rome, Lucca, and Florence, I have been contemplating the following on various trains and planes. Please forgive the length of this post, but I see no other way to address the issue without a full explanation—so please read, contemplate, and respond.
I am posting this announcement to solicit the support of 7 other GMs to co-sponsor a referendum to abolish, or change, the present 60 day no trade rule that is currently in place. As a backdrop, the stated goal of Franchise GM is to mirror MLB as much as possible, while maintaining some unique qualities that distinguishes FGM from other fantasy baseball leagues. Over the years we have initiated some changes to adapt with the ever changing landscape of MLB, while maintaining the integrity of our league as conceived. As a result, from my vantage point, I believe we have a very strong and viable league.
The 60 day rule has been a part of FGM from its inception, but, it would seem, that the time has come to think about implementing a change to facilitate a better fantasy experience. During the course of our existence, we have experienced several changes in leadership, but as stated, throughout it all, we have maintained the integrity established by the founder of the league. With that, we have also come to understand that change is not something to fear, it is sometimes a necessity required by the ever changing landscape of our league. From my perspective, we have grown stronger as a league by dealing with a variety of issues in a positive and direct way. Through league wide communication and involvement, we have found amicable solutions to trade approval issues, MiLB roster use, compensation for Type A free agents, and streamlined our governing rules so they can be more easily referenced.
So, I believe the time has come to discuss the ramifications of our 60 day rule regarding signed free agents. As a league moderator, I am seeking league wide input that goes beyond my recent post regarding a “tweaking of the rule”. From my perspective, to preserve the integrity of our league, and for the benefit of all, the time has come for the subject to be fully discussed. As it stands, here is how the rule is written (with my recent request to tweak the rule):
“
Item AX B(1)-5.0Free Agent signings cannot be traded until 60 days after they have signed. This date will be shown per each player in the official rosters section. In addition to our 60-day NTC rule, any players signed to extensions
as well as FA contracts in the offseason cannot be traded until June 1st the following year.”
In the recent replies to my post regarding our 60 day, no trade rule, there were no objections to tweaking the rule to remove the June 1st provision for off-season free agent acquisitions. However, within the posted responses, there were some inquiries regarding the merits of the rule—with the central issue being whether it was necessary, in light of the fact, that there is currently no such provision in MLB. There was one response alluding to maybe having a 30 day rule, with a concern related to flipping a newly acquired free agent right away, but even there, it should be pointed out that trading players is a fluid process in MLB, as evidenced by the multitude of trades the MLB Seattle Mariners completed during the 2017 offseason (eleven if I recall correctly).
So, although I previously posted that this issue would be revisited after the 2018 season, I have come to believe that maybe it’s time to see if there is enough interest in discussing the issue now. We currently have the following provision in our governing rules to institute change through a league wide referendum, with no regard to timing or implementation. Last season, through a referendum, we changed our compensation rules to align our league operations with the new MLB CBA just after its approval, and implemented it in accordance with the articles of the newly adopted CBA. In this instance, however, we have no such guidelines regarding implementation other than what we choose to do. Here is the rule we have regarding a referendum:
“8.) Any GM in the league may propose a general referendum to be considered by the entire league if at least eight (
member co-sponsor the referendum. A referendum must receive at least 16 votes to be implemented—this would be a simple majority of 15 + 1.”
So, my intent here, is two fold:
1: To gauge the sentiment of the league regarding our present 60 day, no trade rule; and
2: To see if there are seven other GMs who wish to join me in support of a referendum to do one of the following:
A) Keep the rule as written (with the June 1st provision deleted);
B) Adjust the rule to 30 days; or
C) Abolish the rule in its entirety and mirror MLB.
If there is enough support for a referendum, then it would be presented to league members for a vote as outlined above.
Please post your views so that we can know how to proceed as a league.
Halloween