A REALLY weird auction!

[scottw]

I went into this 12-team, NL-only auction yesterday with $121. to spend for 13 players, rather a lot for me. No one had a ridiculous amount of money, but I was lower/middle of the pack as to what I could spend.Cut to the bottom line: I finished the auction with $20. left over! I have never left ANY money on the table in over 25 years doing auctions. But, the weird part, other than backing out, early on the draft, on Segura at what I considered value, there was no one I regret not spending money on. I just found I had more money than others about half way through and no need to spend it. The keepers were so deep that prices at auction were at record lows for this league, with only Story and Blackmon going $34. and Nola [local team] going $37, newcomer E Diaz at $34. Last year, we had numerous $50+ players and all the good ones in the $40's. I was prepared to lay low and cherry-pick when the big bucks had been spent, relying on a nice keeper list, but I found I got pretty good supporting players at good prices---weird!
Anyone here ever been content with their draft while leaving that amount of cash on the table?

[DMT]

Not anything more than a few bucks.

[Judge Jude]

hasn't ever happened to me, but it is possible for it to be a plus.

if you can get $320 worth of talent for $240 instead of $260, that's a significant upgrade in terms of keeper and trade value.

if you get $300 worth of talent for $240 when you could have gotten $320 worth of talent for $260 - that's a minus, although maybe not fatal.

main thing is how much value you acquired. usually, if you leave that kind of money on the table, it will leave a mark. but how good is your team?

[TranaGreg]

I had one year where I left about $20 on the table but it was totally my mismanagement.

I can see feeling good about my team & strategy ... but I'd still wonder if I could have used it somewhere.

[Ken]

I guess I'm not following the original description. You had said that there was no one you regretted missing out on, and then you listed several players at good salaries that would have been good buys.

With $20 wasted, did you not have a $15-$20 player that could have been Story or Blackmon or Nola instead if you had allocated your money correctly?

This sentence doesn't make sense btw - "The keepers were so deep that prices at auction were at record lows for this league" - a good list of keepers causes prices to go up not down.

I think you hit on the root of the problem though when you said "I was prepared to lay low and cherry-pick when the big bucks had been spent". I've tried that strategy before and it doesn't work out. While you are waiting for prices to drop, all the players you should be spending your money on are going to other teams.

[Teenwolf]

I like to hang onto about $20 for my last 5-7 players or so. I prefer being able to pick and choose endgamers, and top others' high bids rather than being stuck with $1 black holes. Sometimes it works out, and I land all my sleepers for $2-$5. Sometimes I finish with $5 on the table. Most common scenario is that I'm left spending $10-$12 on the final stable veteran or two, just so I don't look stupid leaving with a wad of auction money. This year in AL only, those guys were $8 Moreland and $9 Trumbo (already on the 60-day IL, terrible purchase)... sometimes it works well, sometimes decidedly less so.

[Hornsby]

I like to hang onto about $20 for my last 5-7 players or so. I prefer being able to pick and choose endgamers, and top others' high bids rather than being stuck with $1 black holes. Sometimes it works out, and I land all my sleepers for $2-$5. Sometimes I finish with $5 on the table. Most common scenario is that I'm left spending $10-$12 on the final stable veteran or two, just so I don't look stupid leaving with a wad of auction money. This year in AL only, those guys were $8 Moreland and $9 Trumbo (already on the 60-day IL, terrible purchase)... sometimes it works well, sometimes decidedly less so.

Let's be honest...Trumbo would have been a terrible purchase even if he didn't go in the IL...

Moreland was a good buy though.

[scottw]

I guess I'm not following the original description. You had said that there was no one you regretted missing out on, and then you listed several players at good salaries that would have been good buys.

With $20 wasted, did you not have a $15-$20 player that could have been Story or Blackmon or Nola instead if you had allocated your money correctly?

This sentence doesn't make sense btw - "The keepers were so deep that prices at auction were at record lows for this league" - a good list of keepers causes prices to go up not down.

I think you hit on the root of the problem though when you said "I was prepared to lay low and cherry-pick when the big bucks had been spent". I've tried that strategy before and it doesn't work out. While you are waiting for prices to drop, all the players you should be spending your money on are going to other teams.

Perhaps I wasn't clear: The 3 guys I mentioned were the first 3 picks in the auction and all took money with them. I knew I couldn't outspend most of the guys, so I dropped out when the price got to value. After that, the only one I really wish I had stayed on a little longer was Segura, and he was already at my assigned value plus 30% when I dropped out. After this I was able to afford anyone I really wanted.
As to keepers aiding in lower bidding, I think that everyone felt they would not have enough money to go crazy on players after that early spending spree, so they, too, backed off when it started to get crazy numbers.
And, one owner had $13 for 13 players going in!

As I said first-off: weird.

[Ken]

How much $ did you have going into the auction?
What were your top ~5 buys?

[Gregg]

I went into this 12-team, NL-only auction yesterday with $121. to spend for 13 players, rather a lot for me. No one had a ridiculous amount of money, but I was lower/middle of the pack as to what I could spend.Cut to the bottom line: I finished the auction with $20. left over! I have never left ANY money on the table in over 25 years doing auctions. But, the weird part, other than backing out, early on the draft, on Segura at what I considered value, there was no one I regret not spending money on. I just found I had more money than others about half way through and no need to spend it. The keepers were so deep that prices at auction were at record lows for this league, with only Story and Blackmon going $34. and Nola [local team] going $37, newcomer E Diaz at $34. Last year, we had numerous $50+ players and all the good ones in the $40's. I was prepared to lay low and cherry-pick when the big bucks had been spent, relying on a nice keeper list, but I found I got pretty good supporting players at good prices---weird!
Anyone here ever been content with their draft while leaving that amount of cash on the table?

It is weird. I am glad you liked your auction.

I have to admit I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this as I have never experienced it.

Hindsight only helps us learn. I am wondering if in hindsight you could have taken a $15 dollar (or more) OF added the $20 and locked up Blackmon?

I am on record here that I hate leaving money on the table. It is with great interest that I have read your account (several times actually). I look forward to your response on the Blackmon question.

[Ken]

It is weird. I am glad you liked your auction.

I have to admit I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this as I have never experienced it.

Hindsight only helps us learn. I am wondering if in hindsight you could have taken a $15 dollar (or more) OF added the $20 and locked up Blackmon?

I am on record here that I hate leaving money on the table. It is with great interest that I have read your account (several times actually). I look forward to your response on the Blackmon question.

I asked the same exact question above and never really got an answer.

[scottw]

It is weird. I am glad you liked your auction.

I have to admit I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this as I have never experienced it.

Hindsight only helps us learn. I am wondering if in hindsight you could have taken a $15 dollar (or more) OF added the $20 and locked up Blackmon?

I am on record here that I hate leaving money on the table. It is with great interest that I have read your account (several times actually). I look forward to your response on the Blackmon question.

In hindsight, I could have taken Blackmon or Story or Nola. The problem was that they were the top available players in the whole auction--and they were the first 3 off the board. As I said before, I had $121. to spend for 13 players and I had 8 owners with more money than I had, including one with $216 and another with $198. I felt I was in no position to go full throttle on these guys. The money fell off the table so fast, so soon, that things changed rapidly.
No one hates leaving money behind more than I, never having left a dollar in 30+ years. I have never seen an auction shift so quickly in all that time. Weird.

[cavebird]

In hindsight, I could have taken Blackmon or Story or Nola. The problem was that they were the top available players in the whole auction--and they were the first 3 off the board. As I said before, I had $121. to spend for 13 players and I had 8 owners with more money than I had, including one with $216 and another with $198. I felt I was in no position to go full throttle on these guys. The money fell off the table so fast, so soon, that things changed rapidly.
No one hates leaving money behind more than I, never having left a dollar in 30+ years. I have never seen an auction shift so quickly in all that time. Weird.

That's weird, but probably not good for you. Sometimes auction dynamics cause that...as a thread I will post soon will attest to, although that may have just been my being stupid, lol.

[Judge Jude]

could you have gotten Blackmon or Story or Nola with a bid of one more, though?
often that is not the case.

I do always try to set a price I am willing to pay, basically no matter what, for every star.
no one gets to buy them that cheap. so you go up that ladder every time.

once it goes beyond, yeah, you might have to sit back and take it if limited resources and not an area of need.

[cavebird]

could you have gotten Blackmon or Story or Nola with a bid of one more, though?
often that is not the case.

I do always try to set a price I am willing to pay, basically no matter what, for every star.
no one gets to buy them that cheap. so you go up that ladder every time.

once it goes beyond, yeah, you might have to sit back and take it if limited resources and not an area of need.

But if you don't get them with $1 more, you are no worse than you were before. This strategy can screw you, too. Sometimes you even end up buying seven versions of the same player. Sigh.