[Lucky]

We just want to settle this now. Here's the outline:

• May 1st 5 round draft. Randomly chosen draft positions.
  
• You may draft any player who is not currently on a major league roster and has not qualified as a ML rookie in the past.*
  *MLB defines rookies as anyone who has spent 45 days of a ML roster, had 130 ABs, or pitched 50 innings.
  
• All MiLeague Keepers will be available only to the owners who have kept them. If someone else picks them up the commish will correct that.
  
• You may do whatever you like with the keepers through the year. You do not have to pick them up in Yahoo. You are free to drop one and pick up any elligible player at any time during the season.
  
• Minor League Keepers are frozen during the offseason and no moves may be made until May 1st (this does not apply to the Major League Keepers).
  
• At the start of each new season any players no longer elligible will be taken off teams (unless made full Keepers) and each May a new draft will be used to fill any open slots.

That's the idea. Its a very simple way to reserve a minor leaguer for yourself without costing a draft pick/roster spot.

And for those worried that they don't know enough about prospects to do this I have collected a dozen rankings in the "Minor Leaguers" thread over in the Stat forum. In addition I'm putting together an Excel file that lists the top 400+ prospects according to various scouts and which averages off the rankings of more than half a dozen rankings to create one "Average Rank" list. If you have no idea what you are doing you can fall back on picking the highest available on that list.

I'll be posting that around Feb 22nd when I get all the lists together but if you want a look at the unfinished product just ask me to email it to you.

So vote yes or no. PLEASE vote. I'm going to send each of you an individual PM. If I see you've read it but haven't voted here I'm gonna presume you're abstaining and have no complaints. But I rather have everyone happy and cool with what we're doing.

And if you vote no, do us a favor and speak your peace. Like I said, I'd like us all to be happy with what we decide. If we have an untenable position we'll deal with that but if there's a problem we can solve we should solve it.

[Mikey]

I voted yes, but did have one question:

luckylopez said:

[/li][li]No offseason free agent period.
[/quote]

This is the only part I don't get. The "offseason free agent period" in question here referring to minor leaguers only, right?

That being the case, there shouldn't be a problem with minor leaguers in the free agent period. Anybody you pick up in the free agent period is to be on your opening day roster. Who would be silly enough to waste a keeper spot on a guy who may not even be on a ML opening day roster? I just don't see the need to freeze the pool entirely. There may be an occasional guy that doesn't reach the minimum number that someone may wish to pick up, but so long as you make it where you can't drop someone from your "farm system" to pick up another minor leaguer, I don't think this would be a necessity.

[Lucky]

Yeah, only minor leaguers. You nailed it. You simply can't pick up any new minor leaguers.

I'll reword that actually so it says "Minor League Keepers are frozen during the offseason and no moves may be made until May 1st."

[Mikey]

Okay, just checking.

[Lucky]

Army has told me that he came by and he's cool with everything as is. So system gets approved. GM didn't vote here but since he voted in the other 2 polls I'm guessing he just figured this poll was finished.

[National Champion Chris Cole]

Quick Scenario:

I draft a guy who is slotted for A Ball this season who I think has a high ceiling but knowing he has little change at the majors. At the end of the season do I have to make him a Full MLB Keeper or can I make him a Minor Keeper and forego my last round minor pick in next year's draft?

If I wouldn't be able to keep him then I'd probably just target AAA or AA guys with a real shot at the majors this season.

[DevSop]

You can keep him as a minor league keeper up until he is a rookie in the Majors. You'd have to forfeit a draft pick in next years minor league draft though. It's 5 minor leaguers, however you choose to come up with those 5. If you draft 5 this year, but none make the majors because they're all single A/double A guys and you think they have great potential-keep all 5 and your spots in next years minor league draft will be passed up.

The difference between the major and minor league draft is you're limited to 5 and only 5 players, I believe. We can't trade 1 player for 1 pick. I'm pretty sure we need to keep 5 players at all times.

[Mikey]

I don't necessarily see why every team would be restricted to just 5 guys. Why couldn't it work just like ML keepers, how some guys ended up with an extra keeper? As long as there are a total of 60 minor leaguers, does it really matter?

For instance, say I'm sitting in the cellar come July 15 and AA needs an arm. In theory, couldn't I trade a pitcher to him for a guy on his roster AND a minor league keeper?

If I'm making this to complicated, I apologize. Just thinking out loud.

[Lucky]

Damn it, I meant to respond to this.

I don't think that's too complicated. And I'm not sure I ever put much thought to it. I'm trying to find a problem but I'm not sure if I am. I guess if things stay with 60 Keepers its fine. So AA wouldn't be able to add a 5th keeper to replace his until May 1st of the next year (during the draft). If people want to do that I'm fine with it. May cause a headache but I don't necessarily see it.