RJEL auction

[bryanbutler]

As many years as I've done this now, I never figure out the auction in that damn league. Normally, the top tier goes for much more than I expect, and then there is some savings in the middle and bottom. This year, the top was just about where I expected (so maybe I've learned something), but then there was essentially no savings in the middle, and very little even at the end. I can't think of more than a handful of players that went for a lot less than value. I thought I had a better handle on budget (league-wide) and positions needed going in, but it wasn't quite what I predicted. In hindsight, I am happy with a few of my purchases (Strasburg, Castro, a couple others) and not so much with others (not that I don't like the players, just didn't want to spend so much on them - Bumgarner, Peralta, a couple others). I've got a bunch of injury risks, and need big years out of Springer and Martinez, and some pitchers to overperform.

And, you know how there is always one guy, each auction, who tends to bid you up on players? This year it was two - frae in the early/mid, then dane in the late-game. I guess we all wanted the same players .

I don't think I did terribly, but I went into the auction with a mediocre-to-poor crop of keepers, so it's about what I expected. I could have tanked and played for the future, but I always hate doing that. So we'll see how things pan out.

As always, an enjoyable auction (despite the CBS draft room problems). Now I have to work tomorrow with a slight hangover .

[harmon]

Would you attribute the perceived lack of value players to extra high inflation this year?

If so, was the unusual inflation some kind of remnant from the 2020 season?

[bryanbutler]

I'm not sure what it was. There was high inflation going in - there always is in that league - but not excessively more than previous years. GMs just seemed to overspend on the stars by a bit less than usual, which meant less bargains after the tier 1 and 2 players were gone.

[cleo]

I have similar problems trying to plot out which players to target or how many $ to allocate to my spots open. We have 2 - 3 owners that show up on draft day and end up getting some high $ guys and then will fill in with scrubs. But they keep spending! They might have $25 left to spend on 10 spots and they will bid up a guy you are bidding on to $15.

So you have a draft prep plan and then make changes during the draft and have other owners who have no business bidding end up bidding on guys that you could of had a decent price on.

[Gregg]

I have similar problems trying to plot out which players to target or how many $ to allocate to my spots open. We have 2 - 3 owners that show up on draft day and end up getting some high $ guys and then will fill in with scrubs. But they keep spending! They might have $25 left to spend on 10 spots and they will bid up a guy you are bidding on to $15.

So you have a draft prep plan and then make changes during the draft and have other owners who have no business bidding end up bidding on guys that you could of had a decent price on.

I believe that is called price enforcing. I stuck a couple of guys doing that to me this year.

In your example I let him have it at 14. He won't be bothering anyone when he only has 11 bucks for 10 slots.

[chancellor]

I'm not sure what it was. There was high inflation going in - there always is in that league - but not excessively more than previous years. GMs just seemed to overspend on the stars by a bit less than usual, which meant less bargains after the tier 1 and 2 players were gone.

It’s Lord Zola’s fault.

[bryanbutler]

It’s Lord Zola’s fault.

Well, there is that.

[ThatRogue]

I'm not sure what it was. There was high inflation going in - there always is in that league - but not excessively more than previous years. GMs just seemed to overspend on the stars by a bit less than usual, which meant less bargains after the tier 1 and 2 players were gone.

In our NL-only league, early spending was lower, and more measured than usual. It created interesting competition for some players in the mid- and end-game, although there were a few bargains to be had.

[Ken]

I'm not sure what it was. There was high inflation going in - there always is in that league - but not excessively more than previous years. GMs just seemed to overspend on the stars by a bit less than usual, which meant less bargains after the tier 1 and 2 players were gone.

For every $ spent over expected price there has to be a $ saved later on OR your initial expectations did not add up to the total $ available, right?

If you calculated/applied inflation and then tracked the delta, it should have netted to 0 (or an amount representing the value of players not taken - typically pretty small).

Either way, that experience would lead me to re-evaluate my $ calculator and make sure inflation is considered correctly.

[chancellor]

In our NL-only league, early spending was lower, and more measured than usual. It created interesting competition for some players in the mid- and end-game, although there were a few bargains to be had.

Which you will detail in your highly anticipated 2021 Auction Anatomy, yes? Please?

[ThatRogue]

Which you will detail in your highly anticipated 2021 Auction Anatomy, yes? Please?

I should have time to pull it together.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard from Judge Jude recently? His voice has been absent from most of the spring training discussions, and that doesn't feel right.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I might have time to pull it together.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard from Judge Jude recently? His voice has been absent from most of the spring training discussions, and that doesn't feel right.

he got cancelled

[bryanbutler]

For every $ spent over expected price there has to be a $ saved later on OR your initial expectations did not add up to the total $ available, right?

If you calculated/applied inflation and then tracked the delta, it should have netted to 0 (or an amount representing the value of players not taken - typically pretty small).

Either way, that experience would lead me to re-evaluate my $ calculator and make sure inflation is considered correctly.

Inflation was calculated pretty well. Before I started using Rotolab, I always set it at around 35% for RJEL, and Rotolab agreed this year (FWIW, my main league is more like 20-25%, typically, given rules, GMs, and less affinity for Stars and Scrubs). And it progressed to 0 around pick 500 (including keepers). It's not that inflation wasn't accounted for properly, but rather this year GMs behaved slightly differently than in years past.

[ThatRogue]

Inflation was calculated pretty well. Before I started using Rotolab, I always set it at around 35% for RJEL, and Rotolab agreed this year (FWIW, my main league is more like 20-25%, typically, given rules, GMs, and less affinity for Stars and Scrubs). And it progressed to 0 around pick 500 (including keepers). It's not that inflation wasn't accounted for properly, but rather this year GMs behaved slightly differently than in years past.

Agreed...it felt like several of the $1 - $3 end game bargains cost a little more this year.

[ThatRogue]

I should have time to pull it together.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard from Judge Jude recently? His voice has been absent from most of the spring training discussions, and that doesn't feel right.

he got cancelled

Clearly they should renew him for another season.