IMPORTANT - League Changes into 2015
Aug 19, 2014 10:59:50 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 10:59:50 GMT -5
Gents,
As we creep towards the conclusion of the second season of the Dynasty Fantasy Baseball league we have an ideal opportunity to reflect upon the health and future of our league.
I think it fair to say that we are currently in an enviable period of stability with full and consistent team ownership - and long may that continue. The activity of the team owners has been commendable and I hope that it continues to grow over time, yet we are looking for greater involvement and competitiveness from all owners.
The admins would like to gently remind all teams that (as stated in the code of conduct in the constitution) it is expected that team owners log on most days – both inside and outside of the regular season. Whilst it is appreciated that not all teams will always be competing for championship or divisional honours, every team should be doing their utmost to achieve as highly as possible in the standings – and this goes hand-in-hand with regularly logging on to both our league board and the scoring website.
Similarly, as a common courtesy we would expect that all personal messages would be responded to in a timely manner (ideally no more than a few days) – even if it is to say “no thanks” or “sorry, I’m not interested”.
In recent weeks there has been widespread discussion on the direction in which the league is looking to follow, and it is a credit to this league and the team owners that we have such a free and open forum upon which to share our thoughts.
A common concern that has been observed is that teams not competing for a divisional title have nothing to play for – in fact, once eliminated from contention they are rewarded for poor performance in the way of an improved draft position the following season. It is the shared opinion of all admins that we are keen to close this loophole as, although this is a free league without material prizes, we view it as a competitive league where every owner should at all times play for the pride of the success of their team.
We have already set in motion several votes, the results of which are designed to encourage competitiveness across the whole league. They are:
- The addition of an offensive minimum (measured in at bats or plate appearances – to be confirmed at a later date)
- The clarification of the pitching minimum (measured in innings pitched)
- The implementation (to replace the existing minimum-point category forfeit) of a $5.0m cap salary hit for each failure to achieve a minimum, to be imposed the following season
To remove the current reward for mediocrity, the following changes will be made to the amateur draft from 2015 onwards (note - the amateur draft for players drafted in real life in 2014 remains unchanged):
- The amateur draft will be held in a ‘snake’ format
- Each team’s draft position within the amateur draft will no longer be determined by the standings. Teams finishing 6th-15th will be drawn at random into draft slots 1-10, whilst teams finishing 1st-5th will be drawn at random into draft slots 11-15
In addition to the changes to the minimums and draft, a baseline standard will be introduced to the league from 2015 onwards:
- The ownership of any team finishing a season with under 50 points will be reviewed, and at the discretion of the three admins (with a unanimous decision required) the owner may be asked to leave
- Any owner overseeing two sub-50 point finishes will be automatically asked to leave the league
These changes/additions are solely intended to increase the competitiveness of the teams in the league. The intention is not to unfairly punish teams not blessed with the strongest rosters, but to set a thoroughly achievable baseline for all teams to meet – even those in a ‘rebuild’.
It is hoped that no minimum or baseline will ever be missed, but rather that the boundaries set serve as a reminder to all teams that the expectation is on all owners to make their team as competitive as possible at all times.
Finally, the current release waiver process for 4th-6th year players will be scrapped. This means:
- 3rd year players aging into 4th year players will no longer be automatically placed into an offseason waiver window
- Rights to 4th-6th year players will remain with their related real-life team (as 1st-3rd year players currently do)
- 4th-6th year players will no longer need to pass through waivers before being protected
As 4th-6th year players are granted a not-insignificant minimum salary of $1.0, this would raise the possibility of teams 'streaming' protected 4th-6th year players within their own organisation(s) to effectively gain extra cap. A vote has been opened to establish whether there is an appetite within the league for this potential loophole to be closed.
If you have any questions or comments regarding anything in this message please post them here and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Stephen, Shyam and Aaron
As we creep towards the conclusion of the second season of the Dynasty Fantasy Baseball league we have an ideal opportunity to reflect upon the health and future of our league.
I think it fair to say that we are currently in an enviable period of stability with full and consistent team ownership - and long may that continue. The activity of the team owners has been commendable and I hope that it continues to grow over time, yet we are looking for greater involvement and competitiveness from all owners.
The admins would like to gently remind all teams that (as stated in the code of conduct in the constitution) it is expected that team owners log on most days – both inside and outside of the regular season. Whilst it is appreciated that not all teams will always be competing for championship or divisional honours, every team should be doing their utmost to achieve as highly as possible in the standings – and this goes hand-in-hand with regularly logging on to both our league board and the scoring website.
Similarly, as a common courtesy we would expect that all personal messages would be responded to in a timely manner (ideally no more than a few days) – even if it is to say “no thanks” or “sorry, I’m not interested”.
In recent weeks there has been widespread discussion on the direction in which the league is looking to follow, and it is a credit to this league and the team owners that we have such a free and open forum upon which to share our thoughts.
A common concern that has been observed is that teams not competing for a divisional title have nothing to play for – in fact, once eliminated from contention they are rewarded for poor performance in the way of an improved draft position the following season. It is the shared opinion of all admins that we are keen to close this loophole as, although this is a free league without material prizes, we view it as a competitive league where every owner should at all times play for the pride of the success of their team.
We have already set in motion several votes, the results of which are designed to encourage competitiveness across the whole league. They are:
- The addition of an offensive minimum (measured in at bats or plate appearances – to be confirmed at a later date)
- The clarification of the pitching minimum (measured in innings pitched)
- The implementation (to replace the existing minimum-point category forfeit) of a $5.0m cap salary hit for each failure to achieve a minimum, to be imposed the following season
To remove the current reward for mediocrity, the following changes will be made to the amateur draft from 2015 onwards (note - the amateur draft for players drafted in real life in 2014 remains unchanged):
- The amateur draft will be held in a ‘snake’ format
- Each team’s draft position within the amateur draft will no longer be determined by the standings. Teams finishing 6th-15th will be drawn at random into draft slots 1-10, whilst teams finishing 1st-5th will be drawn at random into draft slots 11-15
In addition to the changes to the minimums and draft, a baseline standard will be introduced to the league from 2015 onwards:
- The ownership of any team finishing a season with under 50 points will be reviewed, and at the discretion of the three admins (with a unanimous decision required) the owner may be asked to leave
- Any owner overseeing two sub-50 point finishes will be automatically asked to leave the league
These changes/additions are solely intended to increase the competitiveness of the teams in the league. The intention is not to unfairly punish teams not blessed with the strongest rosters, but to set a thoroughly achievable baseline for all teams to meet – even those in a ‘rebuild’.
It is hoped that no minimum or baseline will ever be missed, but rather that the boundaries set serve as a reminder to all teams that the expectation is on all owners to make their team as competitive as possible at all times.
Finally, the current release waiver process for 4th-6th year players will be scrapped. This means:
- 3rd year players aging into 4th year players will no longer be automatically placed into an offseason waiver window
- Rights to 4th-6th year players will remain with their related real-life team (as 1st-3rd year players currently do)
- 4th-6th year players will no longer need to pass through waivers before being protected
As 4th-6th year players are granted a not-insignificant minimum salary of $1.0, this would raise the possibility of teams 'streaming' protected 4th-6th year players within their own organisation(s) to effectively gain extra cap. A vote has been opened to establish whether there is an appetite within the league for this potential loophole to be closed.
If you have any questions or comments regarding anything in this message please post them here and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Stephen, Shyam and Aaron