Question about Chris Saenz

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 2:44 pm

Greg,

I had put in a FA bid on Chris Saenz today and I did not get him assigned to me, why not, no one seemed to have over bid me. Thanks.

Great Ones in Las vegas # 5

[ April 25, 2004, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Plymouth ]

Hoosier Hick · Post by **Hoosier Hick** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 3:10 pm

Greg I also had a bid on Chris Saenz. I received conditional pick instead even though he was not awarded to anyone. He was in the free agent pool a few days ago when I bid on him but I noticed today he was not in the pool anymore. he made his MLB debut a few days ago. Hope you can clear this matter up.

SoonerC · Post by **SoonerC** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 3:31 pm

I'm guessing it is because he was sent back to the minors this afternoon.

Hoosier Hick · Post by **Hoosier Hick** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 4:12 pm

I thinks thats because Milw only plays five games this week so they don't need a fifth starter for a while. But when i bid on him he was on major league roster.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 4:17 pm

Originally posted by Hoosier Hick:

I thinks thats because Milw only plays five games this week so they don't need a fifth starter for a while. But when i bid on him he was on major league roster. Sorry, you come up short again, much like the Soriano issue.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 4:23 pm

If the Brewers sent him down to the minors before the FAAB deadline today, then he wouldn't have been available in the free agent pool even though he did pitch once this week. He wasn't on a major league roster by the FAAB deadline and he wasn't originally drafted by an NFBC team in your league, so by our rules he wouldn't be allowed to be drafted for that week, even though he did pitch once in the majors. STATS made the correct call according to our rules.

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:21 am

Greg,

Got to say I can't agree with this one. He was on the Milwaukee roster most of the week, he was listed as a FA on our web site and then supposedly sometime on Sunday he gets sent back down and STATS makes him unavailable after I had already put in a bid for him. What am I supposed to do, sit by my PC and check the FA staus of my potential pickups all day waiting for something to happen? That is nuts! There has to be some kind of a notification process if STATS jerks a guys off the available list during the week. So I can't have a guy on my roster that has pitched in the majors this year but I can have Justin Morneau who has not made an apearance as yet this year. Thanks.

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:30 am

Greg,

Another question. From what I can see Rapheal Soriano got sent down on 4/14 and I don't see that he has been called back up so how does he get picked up as a FA this week on Las Vegas # 5? How is that different then Saenz? Thanks.

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:33 am

Originally posted by Plymouth:

Greg,

Got to say I can't agree with this one. He was on the Milwaukee roster most of the week, he was listed as a FA on our web site and then supposedly sometime on Sunday he gets sent back down and STATS makes him unavailable after I had already put in a bid for him. What am I supposed to do, sit by my PC and check the FA staus of my potential pickups all day waiting for something to happen? That is nuts! There has to be some kind of a notification process if STATS jerks a guys off the available list during the week. So I can't have a guy on my roster that has pitched in the majors this year but I can have Justin Morneau who has not made an apearance as yet this year. Thanks. The rules are pretty clear on this matter. What's the misunderstanding?

SoonerC · Post by **SoonerC** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 1:58 am

Soriano was taken in the original draft and, therefore, like Morneau is eligible to be taken regardless of whethere he is on the major league roster or not.

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 2:19 am

Thanks for the clarification on Soriano. The misunderstanding is that I don't think once a player gets put on the FA list that he should be pulled off in mid week after I have already made my FA pick up assignments. I don't feel I should have to be parked on my PC all day Sunday trying to determine who will be pulled off the FA list. I am not happy, but I will get over it.......

[ April 26, 2004, 08:23 AM: Message edited by: Plymouth ]

Dyv · Post by **Dyv** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 2:59 am

Originally posted by Plymouth:

Thanks for the clarification on Soriano. The misunderstanding is that I don't think once a player gets put on the FA list that he should be pulled off in mid week after I have already made my FA pick up assignments. I don't feel I should have to be parked on my PC all day Sunday trying to determine who will be pulled off the FA list. I am not happy, but I will get over it....... Understand your feelings here - but what better option can you think of ? Players get added and sent down all the time. Greg has chosen a rather strict (in my opinion), but finally getting clear methodology for players to be eligible. For this year at least, this is the rule and it has to be enforced that way.

For myself, I like the 'pick up anyone you want - majors, minors or Alaskan prison league... just make sure your lineup is legal' approach. That gives teams the ability to research the minors and speculate on youngsters who might get called up. It also leaves more available FA of 'moderate' quality on the waiver wire because who would hold those guys if you could stash away the 'next big thing' I'm sure Greg has a reason for this - but it's been difficult to manage with some of these bugs and I don't see what positive it accomplishes...

I'll tell you now if the Auction leagues could dip into the minor league pool we might have something more than catchers with 11 at bats year to date on the FA wire

Just my .02 - I'm sure Greg will get a recap at year end of what worked well and what didn't and what was enjoyable and what was not enjoyable and he'll consider changes for next year if he feels like it. Doesn't matter to me, I'll be here again - hopefully as defending #53rd place or so... lol

Dyv

rmurph3 · Post by **rmurph3** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:17 am

Greg,

You posted above that Saenz would be eligible to be picked up if he was "originally drafted by an NFBC team in your league". Where is this documented? See the thread about Brandon Claussen below, I don't think you communicated this scenario well at all. Please explain when this ruling was made, how it was communicated, etc.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:29 am

Murph, this clarification is under the Rules, No. 7.

7. Free Agents: Any player who is not on a team roster within your league and is on a major-league roster or once was on an NFBC team in your league is considered a free agent for that league. Even players on the MLB disabled list are eligible to be picked up during the FAAB bidding process. The player pool is deemed closed of new free agents two hours (5 p.m. EST on Sundays) before the FAAB bidding deadline.

Saenz wasn't on an MLB team at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday and thus wasn't available. He remains available in every NFBC league as he was demoted to Double-A Huntsville on Sunday.

rmurph3 · Post by **rmurph3** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:34 am

Thanks, Greg. For some reason I didn't find that rule. My bad.

Hoosier Hick · Post by **Hoosier Hick** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:27 am

While I understand that its in the rules...a player that you have bid on due to him being in the majors should not be yanked out of your que shortly before free agents are acquired. This means you have to sit by your computer all day on sunday to verify that no body gets sent down. There was put in a "2 hour cutoff" from new additions but there is nothing to protect a owners pick ups from being pulled from his que without notification. IMO, a player that plays during that weeks scoring period should be eligible for that weeks pick ups.

[ April 26, 2004, 03:28 PM: Message edited by: Hoosier Hick ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:23 am

Hoosier Hick and Plymouth, it is duly noted that you want even minor-leaguers who have been called up during the week and then sent back down to the minors to remain in the free agent pool. We can address this at season's end, but according to the letter of our rules in this case Saenz wasn't available by Sunday. I don't expect everyone to sit by their computers each Sunday to see which players are yanked out of the free agent pool, but certainly on a player who it was noted on Sunday morning was going back down to the minors you may have wanted to put conditional picks after him. He remains in your league's free agent pools, so you still have a shot at him the next time he gets promoted.

Dyv is correct when he says it would be easier if all major league players and all minor league players were available throughout the year in the free agent pool. But my goal was to give everyone a fair shot at the hot-shot prospects when they got called up, and if teams wanted to gamble and keep one or more of them on their six-man reserves during the year they could. I certainly didn't have Chris Saenz in mind with this rule, but I was hoping to create interest when 2003's version of Miguel Cabrera or Dontrelle Willis got called up. We'll see if that happens or not.

I am certainly open to amending some rules for the 2005 NFBC and you guys know that I'll keep your suggestions in mind. But we have a set of rules to play under now and under those rules Saenz was in the free agent pool and then deleted from the free agent pool. And that was done more than two hours before the FAAB deadline, so everyone had time to make adjustments. Saenz is back in Double-A, where he will likely spend much of this season.

PittIsIt95 · Post by **PittIsIt95** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:07 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

Dyv is correct when he says it would be easier if all major league players and all minor league players were available throughout the year in the free agent pool. But my goal was to give everyone a fair shot at the hot-shot prospects when they got called up, and if teams wanted to gamble and keep one or more of them on their six-man reserves during the year they could. Greg, the whole idea of being a successfull rotisserrie player is being the person that can dig up the sleepers before they become known to other owners. Those are the owners that should be rewarded. By quote "give everyone a fair shot at the hot-shot prospects", that is saying let the lazy owner not have to research players or have to anticipate a prospect being called up to the majors.

The whole idea of this contest is to have the BEST of the BEST, correct? So let freedom reign, and let the weak be eaten.

Give us the choice on all players next year for free agency throughout the season!!!

PS - This is a rule suggestion for next year. Greg, you are doing a great job, keep it up.

[ April 27, 2004, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: PittIsIt95 ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 3:20 am

Again, duly noted. But even the Best of the Best have to do their homework when prospects get called up. Hell, I live in Wisconsin and I never heard of Chris Saenz before Saturday!!! Not every prospect that gets called up to the majors will dominate like Dontrelle Willis did last year or Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Webb did. So there is FAAB strategy when any prospect gets called up and I've tried to allow NFBC members to bid on them when they get called up rather than a week or two before they get called up. With the no trading policy in place, I felt it would keep everyone in the game throughout the season and give them a shot at impact players after Draft Day.

Again, I'm open to freer rules next year, but I just wanted to explain why these stricter rules are in place and let you guys understand why we made the rules in the first place.