Negotiating on several fronts

[GwynnInTheHall]

can be exhausting, but I love the brinkmanship of having all those apples in the air at once hoping to come out on the right side of a multi owner deal.

Anyone else get almost as much enjoyment out of the pre, post and in season wrangling as they do the actually hunt for the title?

[TyWebb004]

I seem to be different when it comes to trading than most people in my main league, where we have 11 of 16 original owners from 18 years ago. Instead of sending a low-ball or legitimate offer to someone for a player that I want, I ask them what they would want from my team for said player. Conversely, if someone wants one of my players, I'll tell them what I want in return. BS initial low-ball offers tend to halt trade negotiations. By letting the owner tell you what they want in return for a player that you clearly want, I've found has greatly increased the chances of a deal getting done. Sometimes you run into situations where you get/give a fair offer, but you tell or told by another owner that the deal is fair, but they just don't want to trade that player. For my first 10+ years in this league, I was having trouble making deals. I changed to this method of starting negotiations, which has resulted in a much better success rate for me in making deals.

[Moonlight J]

I enjoy pre-draft trade talks more than anything because people are open to more ideas. In season, options get more limited

[TyWebb004]

I enjoy pre-draft trade talks more than anything because people are open to more ideas. In season, options get more limited

I agree. I tend to be more willing to deal in the offseason.

[james33]

Instead of sending a low-ball or legitimate offer to someone for a player that I want, I ask them what they would want from my team for said player.

Interesting - some owners in my leagues do this to me, and I find it irritating, but maybe I'm in the minority, as it is working for you. My mental response is "you're asking about a player on my team, you send me an offer rather than having me go through your roster to see who I'd want in exchange for a guy who I wasn't even thinking of trading in the first place..." - but I try to send an offer anyway, but I'm probably lowballing in these instances.

And I get more trades done when another owner approaches me with a specific offer.

When making offers myself, my approach tends to be complete honesty: in a long term league, bluffing isn't wise in my opinion, trust is. So if I say "Sorry, I have no interest in Players X, Y, Z; I only am interested in Player A or B or C from your team", I mean it, and I think my fellow owners know from experience that I'm honest....I won't later come back and acquire Player X, Y, or Z. I might be shooting myself in the foot by increasing what they'll want for Players A, B, or C from me, not sure.

I'll even tell people, for example "Hey, I like a few catchers from various owners. Your guy - I like 2nd best. So I'm gonna go try to get my top priority this week (I sometime even say who I'm going to offer), and if that doesn't work out, I'll circle back with you with same offer, if that doesn't work, I'll go to my 3rd favorite catcher" - maybe too honest? Not sure.

But I don't think I'm a great trader. I get fair prices, but not steals...at least that's my view.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I wasn't really talking about fleecing people, I don't often do that as it creates bad will and I think I'm pretty fair (don't ask the RJEL guys they think I'm insane)

It was like last might when I am trying to get 2 different players from two different owners and I need a piece from one to send to the other to make it all work and when there's issues how well can you wiggle around them to get the deal done.

LOL, I negotiated for an hour before realizing I didn't actually have a 2nd round pick to deal in the first place!

[Mithrandir]

I love to wheel and deal! I am constantly thinking about trades...

Obviously league dynamics are different so one has to know the other league owners to make good deals.

I have been pretty successful overall, but have made some deals I regret.

[CoachK]

One of my favorite things about pre-draft trading is just getting a good idea of what other league members think of players. Even if you never make a deal, you can learn a lot and possibly even get some clues on who you should keep just by hearing their response to trade offers.

[cool hand]

One of the things I have grown to really appreciate in recent years, is roster freeze day. Or night, rather.
Every year, negotiations with a couple of other owners ramp up on that day. Bluffing or feigning disinterest get tossed out the window with a deadline looming. It's gotten to the point where I block out that evening for roto prep only. Seems like the trading partners come from a rotating group of about half the league. Talks pretty much always go on all night, via text or emai, and never finish until the last minute. Nobody in the league sends in their final freeze lineup until the stroke of midnight.

Two years in a row now, I have made a nice little last second deal (acquired Buxton this year) and, more interestingly, wound up deciding to cut a guy literally in the last half hour before the deadline. Both times, it was a guy that I had myself keeping throughout the entire offseason while planning rosters, and in trade negotiations, came to value him differently after feedback from the other owners. I find this fascinating, because my roto prep is very well organized, and the last second cut always feels like an emotional decision.

It's not quite as fun as the trade deadline, which feels a little like Christmas if you pull off a big one, but each year it gets a little more interesting.

[Gregg]

For most of the trades that I propose, I try to offer what I would want if I owned the player I am targeting.

There are others who I have learned from their own methodology that I have to low ball to get things started and work to a final conclusion. If I start with the fair offer they always want more or no deal.

I do like to tinker and trade. My NL only team is named Diamond Gypsies, because my players don't stay in one place very long.

[Sharky]

One of the things I have grown to really appreciate in recent years, is roster freeze day. Or night, rather.
Every year, negotiations with a couple of other owners ramp up on that day. Bluffing or feigning disinterest get tossed out the window with a deadline looming. It's gotten to the point where I block out that evening for roto prep only. Seems like the trading partners come from a rotating group of about half the league. Talks pretty much always go on all night, via text or emai, and never finish until the last minute. Nobody in the league sends in their final freeze lineup until the stroke of midnight.

Two years in a row now, I have made a nice little last second deal (acquired Buxton this year) and, more interestingly, wound up deciding to cut a guy literally in the last half hour before the deadline. Both times, it was a guy that I had myself keeping throughout the entire offseason while planning rosters, and in trade negotiations, came to value him differently after feedback from the other owners. I find this fascinating, because my roto prep is very well organized, and the last second cut always feels like an emotional decision.

It's not quite as fun as the trade deadline, which feels a little like Christmas if you pull off a big one, but each year it gets a little more interesting.

Good for you! I totally agree. That said, in our league it is so difficult to get those deals done at the freeze deadline. Some owners manage it. But often owners know a guy has more than he can keep and won't pay up for it. Fascinating game of chicken.

[sfleming]

I like dealing alot, and agree with what was said above about people being more open to dealing in the offseason.
I think owners grow attached to their guys, and expect them to perform better than they actually will. They did pick them for a reason.
I offer deals pretty often just to change things up, which seems odd I know. The owners have been together a long time. We're pretty fair with one another.

What's annoying is the guy who is looking for offers for a guy who he tells the league is available, which happens fairly often.
Every time I see it I think dang why not just sack up and offer something rather than make people offer to you so you can decline.

[heyelander]

Hate. It.

[Hornsby]

Hate. It.

I never could have guessed that...never. Now where is the sarcasm font....

[Erik]

You did a lot of great negotiating with RJEL Girl.