First question is how many players to keep? There is no magic number here. My main concern on this issue is not how many players we keep but how many players are available for the draft. Ideas that have been floated is 1, 2 (any player), 2 (1 hitter, 1 pitcher). Initially I liked the 2 (1 hitter, 1 pitcher) idea but trying to incorporate that in an overall keeper format has its problems. As a result I have concluded that 2 (any player) keepers is something that can be managed easily and not overly tax the available draft pool of quality players.
Next is who is available to be kept? Obviously you can not keep a player you don't have so final rosters from the previous season will serve as the base. I reiterate "final" rosters. This will be the players you own at the close of championship tournament play. Yahoo maintains final rosters from season to season so it is pretty easy to look back and see who you will have to pick from. Also it appears that when you join the league each year Yahoo will import those players for you to choose your keepers from.
On this same topic comes the question "Can I keep Albert Pujols ad infinitum?" There may be differences of opinion here but I think the answer to this question is an emphatic "NO". If you own Pujols (as I do) you got him by luck of the (draft) draw not by virtue of shrewd drafting or waiver wire work. Additionally, in order to insure every manager has an equal chance at drafting premier players on draft day there must be a mechanism for making those players available.
Herein lies the minor complexity of a keeper format. With the emphasis on "minor". This ain't rocket science. So follow along with me.
A popular format that leagues use is allowing a player to be kept but you forfeit a draft pick 2 rounds higher than the round he was drafted in the previous season. ( I gotta admit that sounds complex) But to present that in a more understandable light, let me expound. Each player has a value (or cost if you will) that is based on the previous seasons draft results. In this format a players value would increase (appreciate) by 2 rounds each season. A player drafted in round 10 of season A would have a value of round 8 in season B. If you chose to keep this player then he would become your 8th round pick for this years draft. This pick would be pre-loaded prior to the draft and in round 8 of the live draft you would essentially be skipped with your keeper auto-inserted into your roster.
That should sound simple enough. But look what it does. Players drafted in rounds 1 and 2 of season A have "appreciated" to free agency. Players drafted in round 3 of season A have appreciated to round 1 of season B. I took D Pedroia last year in the 3rd round. I love him as a player and would love to keep him but do I really want to make him my 1st round pick? I think not. Therefore I must release him to free agency. Get the idea? The top players will be available on draft day with few exceptions. The competitive balance of the league is in tact as no team can camp out on a stud player forever.
But what if I want to keep a player I obtained off waivers and was undrafted? What is his cost? This presents an issue that reaches not only WW pickups but late round draft picks as well. Since we ARE talking about keepers and therefore players that we obviously think are valuable then there needs to be a "minimum" value assigned to all players. (Yahoo has a provision for this) Here again there could be some debate on what that value should be but I have determined that a minimum value of round 10 would be appropriate and equitable.
But what if I got "2" players off waivers that I want to keep? Ah... astute one... since you only get one pick in the 10th round then you will need to designate 1 of them as your "9th" round pick.
As you can see this format creates some interesting pre-draft decisions. Consder this. I drafted Pedroia in the 3rd round last year and Ian Kennedy in the 21st (last overall pick of the draft) Now.... do I want to keep Pedroia as my 1st round pick or Kennedy as my 10th round pick? For me this is a no-brainer. I keep Kennedy in the 10th and take my chances on redrafting Pedroia on draft day.
Even with a minimum value of 10 you can find yourself in the catbirds seat if you make a great pickup. In 2006 in the other league I play in I picked H Ramirez up off the WW about week 3 of the season. Actually picked him up as a backup for SS. Before the season was over he was my #1 SS. Under this format here is how his value would have worked
2006-undrafted, 2007 round 10, 2008 round 8, 2009 round 6 2010 round 4, 2011 round 2, 2012 free agent. Pretty sweet huh? And just in case you think getting H Ramirez in any round other than the 1st from 2007 on is grossly unfair..... let me remind you. "I" picked him up off the WW, "I" took the gamble by addiing him to my roster. Any other manager in the league could have done it just as well. But be that as it is, 2011 would be the last season I could keep him "if" I was willing to make him my 2nd round pick. All good things must come to an end.
Obviously the Ramirez example is an extreme one and not likely to happen often but the potential is always there. More often than not I can see this type thing happening.... I took Kennedy in the 21st last year, this year I keep him in the 10th, next year the 8th? (maybe) 2014 the 6th? probably not. Hopefully I have snagged another up and comer by then.
Next seasons draft values are determined on draft day this season, Going back to Ramirez consider this.Panties drafted Ramirez in the 1st round. We all know how his season went and one could see a scenario where Panties may have opted to cut bait and drop him. Now suppose he did and somebody else picked him up off the WW. Did Ramirez value drop to 10 because he was picked up of WW. Absolutely not. His base value was round 1 and the team that picked him up should know that when he picked him up. Ramirez might could have helped him win the championship but he was not going to be available as a keeper.
As you can see using this value system not only has draft day implications but inseason implications as well. Make a trade with someone for one of their late round picks or maybe even a player they picked up off WW and now YOU are the proud owner of a potential 10th round pick. (Kerm you gotta be slobbering at the mouth at the thought of this)
I may have made it sound more complicated than it is ( I certainly hope not) but in short. Keepers can be kept at previous draft value + 2 rounds. Simple...
Now lets compare this to the goals for a Hardball Heaven keeper league.
Keeps competitive balance intact. .... check
Allows all managers a chance to assemble a good team on draft day....... check
Provides a mechanism for cycling players back to draft pool.... check
Rewards managers for being clever not lucky........ check
Simple to understand and implement...... implement --check, understand? well you all tell me.
I have my asbestos britches on.... go ahead and let your opinions flow... lol
Randy
