Casey and Steve have each come out with their rendition of how they think the draft will go. Enjoy!
Steve’s Mock Draft
1 PIT: SP Obi Ochiba. His top 2 pitches are very similar to one Roger Clemens.
2 TOR: 1B Bill Terry. When you have a hole at 1B you can’t pass on a talent like this.
3 PIT: 3B Frank Baker. His bat is a little better than prospects’ Alex Gordon and Garrett Atkins, both traded during this past off-season.
4 NYA: LF Zach Wheat. He’ll be a tremendous 2 or 3 hitter in this league.
5 PIT: SP Ryan Dempster. With no shortstops better than what they already have, the Pirates take the next best pitcher.
6 CHN: RF Ryan Braun. The Cubs fill the weakest spot in their future lineup with a gem here.
7 CHA: C Sonny Delfino. Derek McPhew is a decent prospect, but not at the same level as Delfino.
8 ATL: RP Francisco Cordero. When you don’t really need anything you may as well add bullpen depth.
9 TEX: 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The Rangers grab a 1B bat that will remind them a lot of the one Luke Easter held for several seasons.
10 CLE: RF Magglio Ordonez. Ryan Howard would love to see this guy hitting in front of him.
11 PIT: SP Urban Shocker. The Pirates find themselves building much of their rotation in this draft.
12 SD: SP Eppa Rixie. After trading Preacher Roe and Ray Willow they must rebuild their rotation.
13 SD: SP Gus Weyhing. Ditto
14 BOS: 1B Jack Elliot. Reminds a lot of scouts of Harmon Killabrew.
15 SEA: C Grub Parsons. He’s Joey Mauer with a bit more power.
16 ANA: 1B Roger Connor. The Angels nab the last elite 1B in a great 1B class.
17 SD: SP Homer Bailey. Why not? Last year they took all OFs.
18 MON: SP John Danks. He should make a solid foursome with Jimmy DeShong, Cap Wilkerson and Johnny Lush.
19 NYN: LF Billy Williams. Too much of an upgrade over Carlos Lee to pass up.
20 LA: CF Raul Andujar. He’ll make a middle of the lineup guy.
21 HOU: 2B Alexei Ramirez. Charlie Gehringer’s getting a little long in the tooth.
22 ATL: RP Wally Threet. How ‘bout some more bullpen help.
23 FLA: LF Harry Stovey. The Marlins don’t have much in their farm system right now.
24 NYA: SP Miguel Sedaris. To get a guy with two pitches in the 80s and no glaring weakness, here, is pretty good.
25 CHN: SS Tol Rendquist. His speed and defense make him a definite upgrade over Troy Tulowitski.
26 ATL: LF Jason Bay. What about a good bench hitter?
27 STL: SP A.J. Burnett. Not a lot of holes here.
28 ATL: 2B Howie Kendrick. Honestly, what do they need!?
Casey’s Mock Draft
1. Pirates – P Obi Ochiba: best P in the draft and Steve will add a great one to his staff
2. Jays – P Amos Rusie: That FB in the 90’s is going to be hard to pass up, along with a couple other nice pitches, CO could be a concern
3. Pirates – OF Ryan Braun: Steve already has 2 great 1B so he will take the best hitting OF in the draft
4. Yankees – P Urban Shocker: Marky Mark could use a good young pitcher and I like Shocker better than Dempster
5. Pirates – P Ryan Dempster: Got to keep building up that staff and Dempster will do nicely
6. Cubbies – 1B Bill Terry: Andreas could use a stud 1B and he’ll have it with Billy
7. White Sox – C Sonny Delfino: Mike needs a franchise catcher and guess who is still out there
8. Braves – RF Magglio Ordonez: Not wasting this pick on a RP, we could add some depth with a good hitter
9. Rangers – 1B Adrian Gonzalez: Nick goes with another stud 1B here, looks like Stargell and Easter
10. Indians – P Eppa Rixe: Greg needs some pitching help and should get it with Rixie
11. Pirates – 3B Frank Baker: Steve could use a sure handed good hitting 3B
12. Padres – P Homer Bailey: appears to have good stuff and aren’t the Georges Reds fans?
13. Red (recent trade) LF Zach Wheat: Looks to be a good all around player, makes sense
14. Red Sox – P AJ Burnett: Dave already has a good 1B (the guy who was left off the MVP ballot)so he will snatch up a good young P
15. Mariners – 1B Jack Elliott: Newcomer Natedog makes his first big decision for the franchise and getting a stud 1B should please the fans
16. Angels –P Bronson Demille: This guy just seems like a KL guy. High risk high reward, his pitches look too good
17. Reds (recent trade) – 1B Roger Connor: Might as well pick up a great hitter for the future
18. Expos – LF Harry Stovey: looks to be a good power hitting OF with speed
19. Mets – P Francisco Cordero: these guys are always looking to add to the pen
20. Dodgers – P Miguel Sedaris: Chris always has good luck with young pitchers
21. Astros – 2B Alexei Ramirez: good replacement for old man Gehringer
22. Braves – LF Billy Williams: might as well keep adding depth
23. Marlins – CF Raul Andujar: maybe Tony can start rebuilding with a good young OF
24. Yankees – P John Danks: Marky Mark might as well pick up another solid P here
25. Cubbies- CF Jack Braden: Andreas needs more offensive for his group of young P’s
26. Braves – P Graham Tesnar: I’d take a solid pitcher here
27. Cards – LF Jason Bay: a good value OF falls to Jeremy, bummer for the NL Central
28. Braves – C Grub Parsons: this guy will actually probably go higher, but I’d take him here
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
2034 Habla Mock Draft
Steve has put together a mock draft to keep tradition going. Whether it helps you scout the players, gives another opinion on need, or is just for fun, we think it is worth doing. Check it out.
1 SP Joba Chamberlain (ATL)- The best pitcher in the draft goes to the Braves, as if they needed any more ace caliber prospects.
2 SP Rube Foster (BOS)- The Red Sox could go a number of directions here, but it doesn’t hurt to get that ace, and Foster should be one.
3 SS John Henry Lloyd (SD)- Lloyd is in the same mold as Hanley Ramirez from last season’s draft. He has a rare combination of a big stick, great speed and very solid D.
4 2B Ross Barnes (CHA)- Brings similar offensive punch to the table as Lloyd, just not as big an asset, defensively, as him.
5 1B George Sisler (CHN)- He should be a tremendous bat in the middle of the Cubs order for many years.
6 C Buck Ewing (MIL)- You don’t see catchers that can hit and run like he can. Oh, did I mention he plays great defense, as well?
7 3B Ron Santo (BOS)- Santo is the best positional player prospect left at this point and would definitely fill one of many holes in the Red Sox lineup.
8 RP J.J. Putz (ATL)- If there is no trade here, expect the Braves to beef up the bullpen with the elite reliever of the class.
9 SP Ed Walsh (ATL)- What do you get the team that already has everything? Why another high upside SP prospect, of course.
10 RF Brock Sampson (LA)- This just in, Dave Parker is really old.
11 SP Pud Galvin (COL)- With no, blow you away, hitting prospects left, the next best pitcher makes perfect sense.
12 SP Ted Lyons (OAK)- With 3 SPs age 35 and older, Lyons looks to be a good fit.
13 LF Dingo French (CHN)- Another solid bat here would help the Cubs out nicely.
14 LF Goose Goslin (ANA)- Goslin brings solid defense and a better than average bat to the table.
15 SP Shotgun Diller (SD)- Diller looks to be the best starting pitcher available.
16 1B Jesse Bardot (PIT)
17 CF Carlos Sanibel (NYA)
18 RP Jordan Prior (NYN)
19 SP Charley Radbourne (CHN)
20 3B Spencer Starling (CHN)
21 SP Stewie Glover (CHA)
22 RF Bobby Veach (CHN)
23 C Dominick Rizzo (BOS)
24 1B Ned Elkins (DET)
25 SP Allen Beaucher (CHA)
26 C Derek McPhew (ATL)
27 SP Andrew Collins (DET)
28 RF Willie Keeler (SEA)
1 SP Joba Chamberlain (ATL)- The best pitcher in the draft goes to the Braves, as if they needed any more ace caliber prospects.
2 SP Rube Foster (BOS)- The Red Sox could go a number of directions here, but it doesn’t hurt to get that ace, and Foster should be one.
3 SS John Henry Lloyd (SD)- Lloyd is in the same mold as Hanley Ramirez from last season’s draft. He has a rare combination of a big stick, great speed and very solid D.
4 2B Ross Barnes (CHA)- Brings similar offensive punch to the table as Lloyd, just not as big an asset, defensively, as him.
5 1B George Sisler (CHN)- He should be a tremendous bat in the middle of the Cubs order for many years.
6 C Buck Ewing (MIL)- You don’t see catchers that can hit and run like he can. Oh, did I mention he plays great defense, as well?
7 3B Ron Santo (BOS)- Santo is the best positional player prospect left at this point and would definitely fill one of many holes in the Red Sox lineup.
8 RP J.J. Putz (ATL)- If there is no trade here, expect the Braves to beef up the bullpen with the elite reliever of the class.
9 SP Ed Walsh (ATL)- What do you get the team that already has everything? Why another high upside SP prospect, of course.
10 RF Brock Sampson (LA)- This just in, Dave Parker is really old.
11 SP Pud Galvin (COL)- With no, blow you away, hitting prospects left, the next best pitcher makes perfect sense.
12 SP Ted Lyons (OAK)- With 3 SPs age 35 and older, Lyons looks to be a good fit.
13 LF Dingo French (CHN)- Another solid bat here would help the Cubs out nicely.
14 LF Goose Goslin (ANA)- Goslin brings solid defense and a better than average bat to the table.
15 SP Shotgun Diller (SD)- Diller looks to be the best starting pitcher available.
16 1B Jesse Bardot (PIT)
17 CF Carlos Sanibel (NYA)
18 RP Jordan Prior (NYN)
19 SP Charley Radbourne (CHN)
20 3B Spencer Starling (CHN)
21 SP Stewie Glover (CHA)
22 RF Bobby Veach (CHN)
23 C Dominick Rizzo (BOS)
24 1B Ned Elkins (DET)
25 SP Allen Beaucher (CHA)
26 C Derek McPhew (ATL)
27 SP Andrew Collins (DET)
28 RF Willie Keeler (SEA)
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Owls Power Rankings
August 15, 2033
You asked for them so it's your fault. So here we go with my view of the power in the Habla.
1. Minnesota- Veterans like Tony Perez, Luke Easter are putting this team on their backs and fighting off strong challenges from Kansas City and Cleveland. Can the veterans stay healthy?
2. St. Louis- Known for their speed, pitching and defense in the past this year you can add power to that list as Hank Aaron and Turkey Stearnes are the best Combo of hitting in Habla.
3. Florida- has a team ERA of fewer than 3. They have outscored their opponents by 140 runs. Babe Ruth has been tearing the cover off the ball since an early season benching. Team leads the NL East that has 4 teams over .500
4. New York Mets- The young talent has matured and add to the mix a few veterans this team should be a force for a number of years. Great job by Mark in a tough Division
5. San Francisco- High powered Hitting lead by 1B Derek Lee is getting help from solid pitching by the starters. Pen is a question mark but it rarely comes down to the pen being a factor. This team is on cruise control and losing Berkman hurts but the Giants have depth.
6. Seattle- Pitching leads this team. All five starters have double digit wins.
A balance hitting attack gets the job done. Team concept all the way
7. Orioles- Team has been one of the surprises of the season. Injuries have been and continue to be a problem. RP Houston Street must give Tony a heart attack when enters with his .326 Oavg but finds a way to get it done as his 2.25 ERA and 20 saves prove.
8. Kansas City- Travis has this young team in the mix again. Mike Robinson wrecks havoc on the bases. Chris Duncan and Michael Coleman are knocking them in. Roger Clemens, Manny Symthe and Company are solid.
9. Philadelphia- Veterans Brooks and Frank Robinson are playing like there is no tomorrow and there might not be as their careers are winding down.
Add RP Jason Simontacchi to that list.
10. Cleveland- Team that usually stays under the radar but 3B Clete Boyer and CL Luis Viscaino are having break out seasons and have this team in the playoff race. The recent addition of SS Addie Herald could be the move needed to make it.
11. Texas- Defending Champs not the team of last year but steady improvement has this team ready to make a push to defend its title. Hack Wilson and Harmon Killebrew make this team a threat.
12. Houston- The Astros were fast out of the gate riding their pitching but were stating to fade. Sam had an answer for that by bringing in 3B Orlando Cepeda, RF Bobby Abreu and 2B Charlie Gehringer. Now is there still time to make a playoff push?
13. Montreal- The Expos are in transition. Phil Niekro and Charlie Gehringer are gone. No real stars other then RP Saito who is having an off year by his standards.
14. New York Yankees-The Yanks were down for the count after a terrible start but have taken the mandatory 8 count and now have the Orioles in their sites. P Barrios is starting to look like the pitcher of previous years while P Sparks has kept the team afloat.
15. Cincinnati- Reds are the NL version of the Yanks. Terrible start, trade winds were blowing, team ready to torn apart but out of the turmoil the Reds rally. Team is now has a .500 record but have outscored their opponents by 69 runs make this team one you don't want to play. BTW in Darts scoring 69 points is what we call a "Happy Meal."
16. Toronto- Jays bats seem to be wearing down. Not a good sign but there is still time to turn it around. RF Andre Dawson expected return from the DL could be the boost needed.
17. Pittsburgh- Pirates were not playing up to their talent and moves were made. Team in transition but playing well of late
18. Anaheim- KL needs answers to his pitching staff with a league low 48 Quality Starts. Hitting is strong as Lyons and both Howards have 100 Homers between them.
19. Colorado- Not an overly talented team but a talented coaching staff getting the most out of it. P Sid Fernandez having a banner year
20. Oakland- Jon has made many moves and judging by the recent play moves in the right direct. The Pitching with the addition of Dave Roberts, Frank Owen and Phil Niekro makes this team one to watch out for. Better have catchers that can throw as they A's have some burners.
21. Los Angeles- Dodgers are at the crossroads and they are competitive. Veteran Dave Parker is still a draw as he approaches 1100 Homers. Team needs pitching
22. Detroit- Tigers are still rebuilding and making progress. The Tigers bull pen has been a strength. RP Linc Boxer has been great.
23. Chicago Cubs- Cubs are being molded by Andreas to fit his style of play and it's still a work in progress. Recent hitting woes have slowed that down.
24. Chicago White Sox- Team needs better starting pitching. Ruben Gomez filled in one slot but more is needed. Team has also had problems on the road. Wait till next year.
25. Milwaukee- Brewers need bats. SP Jake Miller is 1-9 with a 3.83 ERA says it all. Team still needs a solid 5th starter.
26. San Diego- What a difference a year makes. There is a rumor that a disgruntled employee stores the bats in a big cooler. Looking at the stats it might be fact.
27. Boston- Not much activity here makes one wonder if there are rumblings for a coaching change in the near future.
28. Atlanta- Team is wheeling and dealing as this team could be moving up the charts in the near future,
Read it, enjoy or get pissed and my answer to that is what do I know?
Good gaming
The Owl
You asked for them so it's your fault. So here we go with my view of the power in the Habla.
1. Minnesota- Veterans like Tony Perez, Luke Easter are putting this team on their backs and fighting off strong challenges from Kansas City and Cleveland. Can the veterans stay healthy?
2. St. Louis- Known for their speed, pitching and defense in the past this year you can add power to that list as Hank Aaron and Turkey Stearnes are the best Combo of hitting in Habla.
3. Florida- has a team ERA of fewer than 3. They have outscored their opponents by 140 runs. Babe Ruth has been tearing the cover off the ball since an early season benching. Team leads the NL East that has 4 teams over .500
4. New York Mets- The young talent has matured and add to the mix a few veterans this team should be a force for a number of years. Great job by Mark in a tough Division
5. San Francisco- High powered Hitting lead by 1B Derek Lee is getting help from solid pitching by the starters. Pen is a question mark but it rarely comes down to the pen being a factor. This team is on cruise control and losing Berkman hurts but the Giants have depth.
6. Seattle- Pitching leads this team. All five starters have double digit wins.
A balance hitting attack gets the job done. Team concept all the way
7. Orioles- Team has been one of the surprises of the season. Injuries have been and continue to be a problem. RP Houston Street must give Tony a heart attack when enters with his .326 Oavg but finds a way to get it done as his 2.25 ERA and 20 saves prove.
8. Kansas City- Travis has this young team in the mix again. Mike Robinson wrecks havoc on the bases. Chris Duncan and Michael Coleman are knocking them in. Roger Clemens, Manny Symthe and Company are solid.
9. Philadelphia- Veterans Brooks and Frank Robinson are playing like there is no tomorrow and there might not be as their careers are winding down.
Add RP Jason Simontacchi to that list.
10. Cleveland- Team that usually stays under the radar but 3B Clete Boyer and CL Luis Viscaino are having break out seasons and have this team in the playoff race. The recent addition of SS Addie Herald could be the move needed to make it.
11. Texas- Defending Champs not the team of last year but steady improvement has this team ready to make a push to defend its title. Hack Wilson and Harmon Killebrew make this team a threat.
12. Houston- The Astros were fast out of the gate riding their pitching but were stating to fade. Sam had an answer for that by bringing in 3B Orlando Cepeda, RF Bobby Abreu and 2B Charlie Gehringer. Now is there still time to make a playoff push?
13. Montreal- The Expos are in transition. Phil Niekro and Charlie Gehringer are gone. No real stars other then RP Saito who is having an off year by his standards.
14. New York Yankees-The Yanks were down for the count after a terrible start but have taken the mandatory 8 count and now have the Orioles in their sites. P Barrios is starting to look like the pitcher of previous years while P Sparks has kept the team afloat.
15. Cincinnati- Reds are the NL version of the Yanks. Terrible start, trade winds were blowing, team ready to torn apart but out of the turmoil the Reds rally. Team is now has a .500 record but have outscored their opponents by 69 runs make this team one you don't want to play. BTW in Darts scoring 69 points is what we call a "Happy Meal."
16. Toronto- Jays bats seem to be wearing down. Not a good sign but there is still time to turn it around. RF Andre Dawson expected return from the DL could be the boost needed.
17. Pittsburgh- Pirates were not playing up to their talent and moves were made. Team in transition but playing well of late
18. Anaheim- KL needs answers to his pitching staff with a league low 48 Quality Starts. Hitting is strong as Lyons and both Howards have 100 Homers between them.
19. Colorado- Not an overly talented team but a talented coaching staff getting the most out of it. P Sid Fernandez having a banner year
20. Oakland- Jon has made many moves and judging by the recent play moves in the right direct. The Pitching with the addition of Dave Roberts, Frank Owen and Phil Niekro makes this team one to watch out for. Better have catchers that can throw as they A's have some burners.
21. Los Angeles- Dodgers are at the crossroads and they are competitive. Veteran Dave Parker is still a draw as he approaches 1100 Homers. Team needs pitching
22. Detroit- Tigers are still rebuilding and making progress. The Tigers bull pen has been a strength. RP Linc Boxer has been great.
23. Chicago Cubs- Cubs are being molded by Andreas to fit his style of play and it's still a work in progress. Recent hitting woes have slowed that down.
24. Chicago White Sox- Team needs better starting pitching. Ruben Gomez filled in one slot but more is needed. Team has also had problems on the road. Wait till next year.
25. Milwaukee- Brewers need bats. SP Jake Miller is 1-9 with a 3.83 ERA says it all. Team still needs a solid 5th starter.
26. San Diego- What a difference a year makes. There is a rumor that a disgruntled employee stores the bats in a big cooler. Looking at the stats it might be fact.
27. Boston- Not much activity here makes one wonder if there are rumblings for a coaching change in the near future.
28. Atlanta- Team is wheeling and dealing as this team could be moving up the charts in the near future,
Read it, enjoy or get pissed and my answer to that is what do I know?
Good gaming
The Owl
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A Word from the Trade Chair
Hey guys. Jeremy of St. Louis and the current trade chair has a few thoughts on trades for the new owners and a good reminder for the vets. Here we go.
Happy 2008 gentlemen! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. Since we have some new owners with us this year in Habla, I wanted to make sure that everyone's on the same page when it comes to conducting trades.
1) Make sure that all trades are submitted using the following format; for example:
St. Louis gets:
MON #1 pick
$5 cash
Montreal gets:
P Cal Eldred (move to Active, #3 SP slot; P Blaeholdger to AAA)
The format makes it easier for me to evaluate trades quickly and efficiently, plus it helps eliminate any confusion as to a trade's particulars.
Please make sure to include the position of any players involved. Feel free to include any roster moves you need to make as well. Otherwise you need to include them in a separate email to Gary. DO NOT blame Gary when he has to makes roster cuts/moves for your team because you failed to provide them; ever since the aliens abducted him, Gary's psychic powers have gone in the toilet:). Keep in mind that the commissioner is certainly within his rights to refuse to process a trade until BOTH teams have sent in their necessary roster moves. So make sure to send in those roster/lineup moves at some point prior to the next sim.
2) Once both owners have agreed to a trade, it's time for one of them to write it up and submit it. You only need to send it to 2 people: myself and your trade partner. You may certainly email Gary and Nick at this point too, but I've always viewed that as just a great way to clog their Inboxes with needless email messages.
Once I've received a trade submission, the next step is for the trade partner to send in his agreement to the trade details, i.e. his confirmation. Again, you need only send it to your trade partner and myself. Usually an email reply to the original write-up works best, something along the lines of "St. Louis agrees to this trade".
3) Once I've received confirmation from both owners, I will then look it over. Assuming it's approved, I will then notify both of the owners, as well as Gary (who processes it) and Nick (who handles the $ end of things). Only upon the sending of my approval does a trade become binding. If I didn't send an approval, then the trade didn't/shouldn't/hasn't happened.
4) The last step is to announce the trade to the rest of the league. Simply put, this lets owners know. Afterall, it's only sporting of you to allow your fellow owners the opportunity to take your most recent blockbuster trade into account when implementing their master plan for league domination:).
Failure to announce a processed trade within 1 or 2 sims will result in a verbal reminder from me, assuming I catch it. Repeat offenders will seriously begin to mess with my Chi.
DO NOT be a Premature Ejac-Announcer! Please wait for approval before announcing to the league.
Although it's not necessary for both teams to make the announcement, it's encouraged. Especially if it's accompanied by a write-up or update from your team.
That's the process. A big part of being trade chair is to make sure that the newer owners are being protected and aren't getting "hosed" on deals. So be nice to the new guys! The more talent involved in a deal, the more consideration I tend to give to a potential trade. The longer you've been an owner in this league also means that I give you greater leeway when it comes to making trades. When a deal involves two veteran owners, that's usually good enough for me. Not only do I feel you've earned my trust, but I'm disinclined to second-guess someone who's proven to me over the years that they know what they're doing.
Generally I'm LOATHE to meddle, tweak, or nix deals. I will only do so if I think a trade is seriously broken. I'm a believer in free markets, so naturally I want teams to announce their trade intentions as often and as clearly as possible. How many times have you seen a deal come across the league email where you said, "Shoot. If I had known Player X could've been had so cheaply, I would've made an offer"? If I have misgivings about a trade involving Player X, the very first thing I do is make sure that the rest of the league knew that Player X was available in the first place. Assuming that's the case, Habla then becomes as close to a theoretical free market as we could hope for; it gives everyone an equal chance to compete for Player X's services. Ideally, every season the market value for tradeable assets (picks, players, ca sh) is what the league's 28 owners determine them to be. And believe me, market values change from season to season. For example, how hard is it this year to pick up good starting pitching? Compared to last year, I would say much easier. From what I've seen so far in the 2033 season, there are plenty of good starting pitchers who've been made available for trade. However will that pitching glut hold true for next season? Unlikely from my experience.
Suffice it to say that I view any intervention in a trade as something best employed judiciously.
I always ask the same basic question when looking over a trade; "Can you make a reasonable case that both teams are better for having made this deal?" Now admittedly that sometimes means me having to look at a deal from some very different perspectives, but for every deal I've approved, it means I was able to convince myself in some fashion that both teams were better as a result.
By far the easiest role for the trade chair to play, although arguably the most important one, is to serve as the final arbiter of agreement between trading partners. Imagine, without a trade chair you could simply announce to the league that you've traded your struggling backup 2B for Robbie Alomar. Talk about a recipe for confusion and endless flaming emails! Chaos! Anarchy! Thus this vast Habla bureaucracy. . .
So that hopefully offers some insight into how I view the function of the trade chair. However in my view it is NOT the trade chair's job to help insure that you get the best deal possible. Would I like you to? Absolutely. Even though I might think that you could get more cash or a higher draft pick out of a deal (or even a better deal elsewhere), it's not the trade chair's place to tell you so. The trade chair's job is to help facilitate trade between teams, not to nitpick, critique, or otherwise complicate the process.
If you're interested in getting the most out of a deal, I would encourage you to solicit some feedback from your fellow owners. Especially when you've got a big deal on the table. Would they pay that much? Is it a fair trade-off? Is he inflating P Eldred's value? Stuff like that. If you're new and don't "know" a lot of the Habla owners, feel free to ask any of the eboard members. All are knowledgeable guys who would be more than willing to answer questions and offer their opinions if asked. They're a great resource; use them!
Lastly, if ATL winds up owning 15 of the top 28 selections in this year's draft like they did last year, don't look at me; we're all consenting adults. Go Casey! Lol.
Thanks for the time gentlemen. Enjoy the new year.
Jeremy
Happy 2008 gentlemen! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. Since we have some new owners with us this year in Habla, I wanted to make sure that everyone's on the same page when it comes to conducting trades.
1) Make sure that all trades are submitted using the following format; for example:
St. Louis gets:
MON #1 pick
$5 cash
Montreal gets:
P Cal Eldred (move to Active, #3 SP slot; P Blaeholdger to AAA)
The format makes it easier for me to evaluate trades quickly and efficiently, plus it helps eliminate any confusion as to a trade's particulars.
Please make sure to include the position of any players involved. Feel free to include any roster moves you need to make as well. Otherwise you need to include them in a separate email to Gary. DO NOT blame Gary when he has to makes roster cuts/moves for your team because you failed to provide them; ever since the aliens abducted him, Gary's psychic powers have gone in the toilet:). Keep in mind that the commissioner is certainly within his rights to refuse to process a trade until BOTH teams have sent in their necessary roster moves. So make sure to send in those roster/lineup moves at some point prior to the next sim.
2) Once both owners have agreed to a trade, it's time for one of them to write it up and submit it. You only need to send it to 2 people: myself and your trade partner. You may certainly email Gary and Nick at this point too, but I've always viewed that as just a great way to clog their Inboxes with needless email messages.
Once I've received a trade submission, the next step is for the trade partner to send in his agreement to the trade details, i.e. his confirmation. Again, you need only send it to your trade partner and myself. Usually an email reply to the original write-up works best, something along the lines of "St. Louis agrees to this trade".
3) Once I've received confirmation from both owners, I will then look it over. Assuming it's approved, I will then notify both of the owners, as well as Gary (who processes it) and Nick (who handles the $ end of things). Only upon the sending of my approval does a trade become binding. If I didn't send an approval, then the trade didn't/shouldn't/hasn't happened.
4) The last step is to announce the trade to the rest of the league. Simply put, this lets owners know. Afterall, it's only sporting of you to allow your fellow owners the opportunity to take your most recent blockbuster trade into account when implementing their master plan for league domination:).
Failure to announce a processed trade within 1 or 2 sims will result in a verbal reminder from me, assuming I catch it. Repeat offenders will seriously begin to mess with my Chi.
DO NOT be a Premature Ejac-Announcer! Please wait for approval before announcing to the league.
Although it's not necessary for both teams to make the announcement, it's encouraged. Especially if it's accompanied by a write-up or update from your team.
That's the process. A big part of being trade chair is to make sure that the newer owners are being protected and aren't getting "hosed" on deals. So be nice to the new guys! The more talent involved in a deal, the more consideration I tend to give to a potential trade. The longer you've been an owner in this league also means that I give you greater leeway when it comes to making trades. When a deal involves two veteran owners, that's usually good enough for me. Not only do I feel you've earned my trust, but I'm disinclined to second-guess someone who's proven to me over the years that they know what they're doing.
Generally I'm LOATHE to meddle, tweak, or nix deals. I will only do so if I think a trade is seriously broken. I'm a believer in free markets, so naturally I want teams to announce their trade intentions as often and as clearly as possible. How many times have you seen a deal come across the league email where you said, "Shoot. If I had known Player X could've been had so cheaply, I would've made an offer"? If I have misgivings about a trade involving Player X, the very first thing I do is make sure that the rest of the league knew that Player X was available in the first place. Assuming that's the case, Habla then becomes as close to a theoretical free market as we could hope for; it gives everyone an equal chance to compete for Player X's services. Ideally, every season the market value for tradeable assets (picks, players, ca sh) is what the league's 28 owners determine them to be. And believe me, market values change from season to season. For example, how hard is it this year to pick up good starting pitching? Compared to last year, I would say much easier. From what I've seen so far in the 2033 season, there are plenty of good starting pitchers who've been made available for trade. However will that pitching glut hold true for next season? Unlikely from my experience.
Suffice it to say that I view any intervention in a trade as something best employed judiciously.
I always ask the same basic question when looking over a trade; "Can you make a reasonable case that both teams are better for having made this deal?" Now admittedly that sometimes means me having to look at a deal from some very different perspectives, but for every deal I've approved, it means I was able to convince myself in some fashion that both teams were better as a result.
By far the easiest role for the trade chair to play, although arguably the most important one, is to serve as the final arbiter of agreement between trading partners. Imagine, without a trade chair you could simply announce to the league that you've traded your struggling backup 2B for Robbie Alomar. Talk about a recipe for confusion and endless flaming emails! Chaos! Anarchy! Thus this vast Habla bureaucracy. . .
So that hopefully offers some insight into how I view the function of the trade chair. However in my view it is NOT the trade chair's job to help insure that you get the best deal possible. Would I like you to? Absolutely. Even though I might think that you could get more cash or a higher draft pick out of a deal (or even a better deal elsewhere), it's not the trade chair's place to tell you so. The trade chair's job is to help facilitate trade between teams, not to nitpick, critique, or otherwise complicate the process.
If you're interested in getting the most out of a deal, I would encourage you to solicit some feedback from your fellow owners. Especially when you've got a big deal on the table. Would they pay that much? Is it a fair trade-off? Is he inflating P Eldred's value? Stuff like that. If you're new and don't "know" a lot of the Habla owners, feel free to ask any of the eboard members. All are knowledgeable guys who would be more than willing to answer questions and offer their opinions if asked. They're a great resource; use them!
Lastly, if ATL winds up owning 15 of the top 28 selections in this year's draft like they did last year, don't look at me; we're all consenting adults. Go Casey! Lol.
Thanks for the time gentlemen. Enjoy the new year.
Jeremy
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