Should We Delay Drafts?

[revo]

RJEL voted and decided to remain this Saturday evening. I don't necessarily agree, but with a deep keeper like this, it's not as bad as a redraft would be.

[chancellor]

My auction league is really struggling with this. We have two people who fly in and two of us who drive in from about 2 hours away. The other person who drives in is likely in the high risk category - he's had significant health issues - but he's hellbent on not postponing. We have a few others who are really concerned we might end up being Typhoid Marys and possibly put him at severe risk.

Ugh.

[revo]

My auction league is really struggling with this. We have two people who fly in and two of us who drive in from about 2 hours away. The other person who drives in is likely in the high risk category - he's had significant health issues - but he's hellbent on not postponing. We have a few others who are really concerned we might end up being Typhoid Marys and possibly put him at severe risk.

Ugh.

Time to go online for this year only.

[chancellor]

Time to go online for this year only.

That's certainly my preference, but we have a few players opposed, and they've been with the league since inception.

I suspect - but do not know - the commish would like to do online, but also doesn't want to blow up the league, either.

[DMT]

That's certainly my preference, but we have a few players opposed, and they've been with the league since inception.

I suspect - but do not know - the commish would like to do online, but also doesn't want to blow up the league, either.

I don't think switching to online will blow up the league. I'd privately encourage him to go this route and then back him publicly when he makes the announcement.

[chancellor]

I don't think switching to online will blow up the league. I'd privately encourage him to go this route and then back him publicly when he makes the announcement.

Appreciate the advice. I'll do that right now.

[Big Tymer]

In my currently ongoing slow draft, Aaron Judge got picked in round 8 right after the announcement was made. This is going to make ongoing slow drafts interesting, that's for sure.

I think any injured player gets a bump while a suspended player like German gets a huge downgrade. Stanton and Judge might not even miss any time now so the "discount" could be significant. I picked Rich Hill in The Athletic Draft & Hold after this news as all of a sudden he's not missing half the season anymore.

[joncarlos]

I guess I am bumping up guys like Urias and Luzardo ... if they are only pitching 140 innings, well, 140 innings might be all that anyone pitches.

[Ken]

Stanton and Judge might not even miss any time now so the "discount" could be sognificant.

The only way I see Stanton not missing time is if the season is cancelled

[Erik]

My draft was scheduled for 3/22 but some folks want to delay it, so that's probably what will happen. It's in the NY metropolitan area, which is hypersensitive about all this.

It helps that this is the only league for most of us.

We officially postponed. A new draft date will be set once we know when the MLB season will start. It helps that no one is more than 90 minutes away from the location where we always draft.

[Erik]

I think any injured player gets a bump while a suspended player like German gets a huge downgrade. Stanton and Judge might not even miss any time now so the "discount" could be significant. I picked Rich Hill in The Athletic Draft & Hold after this news as all of a sudden he's not missing half the season anymore.

I'm definitely going to recalibrate the guys that were announced to be out until between mid-April and mid-May. Most of them will give us a full season or close to it barring a new injury or setback.

[cavebird]

There's no good solution to this. It has been over 60 years since the last pandemic. Everyone just has to do it as best suits their league. Online drafts can work, but they suck, and in-person drafts can be great mental health help in this summer of our discontent--the effects of all the social isolation is the unspoken problem that there is no way to prevent. On the other hand, preventing it by getting everyone infected is not an option if a league has at-risk people in it. Leagues have the same problem that MLB (and all the other sports) has---no good answers, no real precedent to follow, and fear/panic everywhere. We'll get through this, but it is going to get uglier before it gets prettier.

[GwynnInTheHall]

There's no good solution to this. It has been over 60 years since the last pandemic. Everyone just has to do it as best suits their league. Online drafts can work, but they suck, and in-person drafts can be great mental health help in this summer of our discontent--the effects of all the social isolation is the unspoken problem that there is no way to prevent. On the other hand, preventing it by getting everyone infected is not an option if a league has at-risk people in it. Leagues have the same problem that MLB (and all the other sports) has---no good answers, no real precedent to follow, and fear/panic everywhere. We'll get through this, but it is going to get uglier before it gets prettier.

This is key. Right now we all need something positive, Roto/fantasy baseball is all about hope, positive outlooks and anticipation of games/outcomes. Drafts/auctions are a part of that excitement/euphoria. Be it online or in person, a day away from all this shit and immersed in the world we all love (and we must love it because we tolerate each others asses enough to keep coming here and talking baseball).

Enjoy this brothers because for a while, it's all the social interaction we're gonna have.

[revo]

I guess I am bumping up guys like Urias and Luzardo ... if they are only pitching 140 innings, well, 140 innings might be all that anyone pitches.

I'm not sure I would run with this theory. Guys like the ones you mentioned will still have to stick to their same off-day schedule, so if the season is indeed truncated, then they will lose just as much playing time as any other pitcher will.

The only guys I'm bumping up are players who are now injured.

[hacko]

We are still holding our live in person draft on the 28 th ( as of now) 2 of our owners work for the Feds - one is in Tenn. So unless something drastic happens between now and then we are on . Our biggest issue is the eligible players for our draft esp the farm players who got called up last year but look like they were going to start in the minors this year. If still rookie eligible we could stick them as our 3 rd round reserve pick. Now because they probably are still on the roster they will have to fill your roster. Should be interesting.