BSL Vote: FA Compensation

What should happen with Free Agency compensation?


  • Total voters
    25

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cjay101

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Just throwing this out here to see what everyone thinks. The final decision will be made by Nick and I.

What does everyone think of the FA Compensation system (ie. Type A and Type B free agents awarding picks to teams losing players).

Some thoughts:

1. Type A's often sit around into spring training or beyond unless they are extreme stars. Often, these players should be some of the first names signing out of the gate, yet teams are scared off due to losing their first rounder.

2. Type A's have been abused before, once you sign one and lose your first pick, the next costs a 2nd, next 3rd. If you have the payroll, you can stack a team pretty well.

3 There are WAY too many Type players in general, but especially type B's. Below average players are awarding sandwich picks to the losing teams. Our sandwich round is usually larger than a normal round (30+ picks) Which negates people having a 2nd/3rd round pick as much talent is drafted in the sandwiches.

I personally think it may be time to do away with the system, however there are some positives.

1. The teams with lots of payroll room are forced to lose a pick to sign quality talent (however, this remains the same for lower market teams looking to add talent as well)

2. Obviously, a large amount of talent is acquired via the 1st and Sandwich rounds due to these picks.

IF we chose to do away with the compensation picks, all free agents would be fair game to any team from the opening of free agency. I think it would allow for teams to get their signings and rosters filled out much more realistically.

Vote and let us know you opinion in reply as well.
 
I think it is a good thing, it helps the smaller market teams that can't afford to pay when the players get to the end of Arb.
 
I think it is a good thing, it helps the smaller market teams that can't afford to pay when the players get to the end of Arb.

As long as the player is good enough to sign before the draft and get a compensation pick awarded. Otherwise, it serves nothing for the losing team, and keeps that player out of games until he gets on with a player after the draft in June.
 
I like how signing a Type A free agent gives the team losing the player a first round pick. I don't care for the Type B free agent because it mucks up the draft. Many great players have been drafted in the supp round that could've gone in Rounds 2 and 3 following that years draft order.

Personally, I have never signed a Type A and doubt I ever will...I just don't want to lose that draft pick:) Seeing how many Type A's do not get signed each year I'm not the only one thinking that way it seems. So while I like the idea behind the Type A it's not really even being used to it's potential so makes no sense to keep it around.

I voted for doing away with the system, I don't see that hurting smaller market teams or helping larger market teams in any unfair way.
 
I'm on the fence. I like the compensation idea, and it's helped me restock the minors, but it's frustrating as well. Between the protected picks and teams signing more than one type A guy, last year I lost three type A guys and a type B. My compensation was 4 sandwich picks (#43, 58, 70, and 71 overall) and an extra 2nd, 4th, and 5th round pick ( # 75, 135, and 165 overall). If _I_ had signed someone elses type A guy, THEY get the #20 overall pick as well as a pick somewhere in the #31-70 range. That's a fairly big gap in compensation, so at that point part of me says 'get rid of it, the struggling teams can sign anyone they can afford with no real consequences, and the teams with big budgets can sign multiple guys year after year instead of drafting anyway.
 
I havent voted yet, but I want to clarify that you mean in future off season, or this off season. I think if we changed now that teams that have already signed some fAs would have some dis advantage from this change now.

I like the fact that the comp picks might keep some rich teams from signing all the top FA . I like to see some form of "penalty" for signing the top picks from teams that can not afford them.
Also, I dont know if I am the only team or not, but I have picked up players the last few seasons that I knew would give me comp picks so some strategy might be lost . I guess I am looking for some other reasoning before I actually vote on this one. Just thinking out loud.
 
I havent voted yet, but I want to clarify that you mean in future off season, or this off season. I think if we changed now that teams that have already signed some fAs would have some dis advantage from this change now.

I like the fact that the comp picks might keep some rich teams from signing all the top FA . I like to see some form of "penalty" for signing the top picks from teams that can not afford them.
Also, I dont know if I am the only team or not, but I have picked up players the last few seasons that I knew would give me comp picks so some strategy might be lost . I guess I am looking for some other reasoning before I actually vote on this one. Just thinking out loud.

If this was implemented, it would not affect the current free agent class and/or compensation for the upcoming draft.
 
I agree with Meliah - I RARELY even consider a Type A free agent, because I am a draft pick monger. It is very possible I would chase one or two right now if they didn't have Type A attached. However, you could argue that none of the "Good" type a's would even be around at this point in the process.

Likewise, it would definitely drive up the free agent prices on the super big names, meaning that a lot of teams will be able to pick over the scraps at a bargain rate without fear of a high-payroll team sitting around table scrapping all the mid-tier talent.
 
I am on the fence as well and voted that way. Maybe if there was a better way of determining the "type" of player that would help too. Small market teams cannot afford to keep the premier players and field a competitive team so I do like the idea of some type of compensation. For those guys sitting around until after the draft I am fine with that, at least it gives the little guy a chance. If a player is not signed by that point maybe their price has dropped to the point the original team can sign him if not then he is fair game.
 
I like the concept of the system. I think the difficult part is that the compensation seems severe. Maybe it's different in the MLB since they have so many rounds of drafting and such deep minor league systems. Here in the BSL, I think losing a 1st round pick for a Type A is a tough penalty since there are only 10-15 blue chip prospects each year.

I'm not sure if this is possible in the game, but could Type A compensation be changed to losing a 2nd round pick and Type B would give a supplemental pick between rounds 2 and 3? Not sure if this would help, but I'd be much more likely to give up a 2nd round pick to sign a Type A.

If not, I'm leaning toward keeping the current system since I think it serves its purpose. At some point, those Type A guys will sign - even if it's half way through the season or when/if their contract demands come down some more.

Eric
 
More comments in response...

There is zero way to adjust how many Type A or Type B's get listed, nor is there any way to see what the requirements for each are. It is all hard coded into the software. The only option is an On/Off switch, much to my dismay.

My major issue with Type A's going into the season unsigned is that the 'star' Type A's are losing nearly 1/3 of a season towards their career stats by not playing (this came up in the HOF thread earlier, just as an example).

In real life, a Type A (well, now a tendered player in the current system) would just start moving down the line and considering the smaller market teams that he normally wouldn't have signed with earlier in the offseason. VERY few if any MLB stars are going to sit on their hands past spring training!

I also think this will supplement the struggling teams as well. If team X loses 100 games and is #1 overall (picking #29 in second).

In current system, IF they didn't gain a sandwich pick for some lost player they would draft #1, then wait through sandwich round, then 2nd rounder would fall in the #50 range.

Without compensation picks, they pick #1, #29, #57 in 1/2/3
 
I voted to keep it mostly because it simulates the real scenario but also because I think it will just turn it into the big market big payroll teams (of which I am one) being able to control free agent market more. It is definitely a decision to play for the now and sign the free agent or play for a few years down the road and keep the picks. Remember just because he is a 1st round pick does not mean he will work out.
 
I never sign a type A free agent because i always seem to have a top 5 pick in each draft and don't want to give that pick up.

Top 15 picks are protected, it only costs you a second round pick to sign a type A free agent. Philadelphia signed Lastings Milledge from me, and I got their 2nd round pick and a sandwich pick, they still have the #5 overall pick.
 
I voted to keep it as it is.

The reason for that is how changing the system might affect arbitration. Not only would many of these players not be offered arb, I wonder if it could ultimately affect the outcome of non free agent eligible arbitration cases (I win most cases. Seldom does a player win). By changing the free agency process, it takes away quite a bit of strategy that is the main point of playing this game.

---Dodgers
 
I like the concept of the system. I think the difficult part is that the compensation seems severe. Maybe it's different in the MLB since they have so many rounds of drafting and such deep minor league systems. Here in the BSL, I think losing a 1st round pick for a Type A is a tough penalty since there are only 10-15 blue chip prospects each year.

I'm not sure if this is possible in the game, but could Type A compensation be changed to losing a 2nd round pick and Type B would give a supplemental pick between rounds 2 and 3? Not sure if this would help, but I'd be much more likely to give up a 2nd round pick to sign a Type A.

If not, I'm leaning toward keeping the current system since I think it serves its purpose. At some point, those Type A guys will sign - even if it's half way through the season or when/if their contract demands come down some more.

Eric

I agree with most of this statement and would go one question further - can we keep Type A (maybe with modification) and eliminate the Type B entirely?
 
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