Dump trades in keeper leagues.

[Mithrandir]

What's the thought on trading studs with expiring contracts for potential keepers just to make a trade and get something in return?

For example, you have Hamilton, Pujols, etc and you are out of the race and the player has to go back into the draft next year. Do you take any trade to simply get something, even a relatively weak offer? I guess most would take "someone" just to have a potential keeper instead of losing the stud and getting no one in return.

Thoughts?

[Sour Masher]

Turley elite players like Hamilton and Pujols should not be given away for nothing. In my league, almost always, dumpers know this and will play chicken iwth contenders to get them all in bidding wars as the trade deadline approaches. Most have the attitude that they will not give away said players for a marginal keeper, because they know if they do, it weakens the market for dump deals long term, and frankly a lot of these dumping owners end up doing this year after year.

All that said, I think it is idiotic to sit on such commodities and get nothing. I would try to get as much as I can by actively pitting contenders against each other as bidders, but push comes to shove, if the offer gives me a clear upgrade in value or talent long term, I'm making the deal, even if I think it is less than I should get.

[Sharky]

What's the thought on trading studs with expiring contracts for potential keepers just to make a trade and get something in return?

For example, you have Hamilton, Pujols, etc and you are out of the race and the player has to go back into the draft next year. Do you take any trade to simply get something, even a relatively weak offer? I guess most would take "someone" just to have a potential keeper instead of losing the stud and getting no one in return.

Thoughts?

I generally agree with Sour Masher here (isn't that the artist formerly known as sfenty?). A key factor is league rules and the rewards (or lack thereof) for finishing in/out of the money. For example, our league has several money spots, then the next few get an advantage in the supplemental minor league player draft. It helps to have incentives for continuing to compete.

[cavebird]

The dump for anything vibe got so bad in my main league before I joined it that they made a rule that all keepers are locked in your active lineup and for a dump trade to go through, you have to sign the person to an extension on the spot. That stopped a lot of silliness apparently.

[TranaGreg]

I do think that this is where fantasy closely mimics real baseball ... the same tough decisions face teams who clearly won't make the playoffs yet have a valuable player ... any other year Greinke goes for a lot more than he did.

I fall on the side of looking after my own team; if I can improve my team by dealing a player at the deadline, he's going. If other teams have a problem with that they should have offered me more.

[dslaw]

I will keep a Hamilton or Pujols if the offer isn't good. Give me someone I like or else I keep them and hope that whoever I am talking trade with finishes .5 out of the money. My feeling is that If I don't know whether I want player X for next year why trade for him and possibly alter the standings.

The other side to this is that the other teams also aren't offering me anything or making low offers so I can see why someone would take a bad deal rather than no deal. I think a lot of it is personal preference.

[Fresno Bob]

I fall on the side of looking after my own team; if I can improve my team by dealing a player at the deadline, he's going. If other teams have a problem with that they should have offered me more.

agree 100% here, I also make it crystal clear what I'm doing, and appreciate it when others do as well since it gives everyone a shot. I don't understand why people don't publicly broadcast their dumping intentions, maximize your return!

[DMT]

agree 100% here, I also make it crystal clear what I'm doing, and appreciate it when others do as well since it gives everyone a shot. I don't understand why people don't publicly broadcast their dumping intentions, maximize your return!

Yep, it makes no sense not to get the other owners to offer competing bids.

I agree that teams should get whatever they can but at the same time I like having some sort of mechanism in place to keep teams at least somewhat competitive. In real baseball, teams can't just unload their entire teams and it's aggravating when fantasy teams do that. In RJEL, we have a 3-year prize but in my other league we don't have anything. I proposed having a minor penalty to the team(s) that finish last (and 2nd to last) but that was shot down.

[cavebird]

Yep, it makes no sense not to get the other owners to offer competing bids.

I agree that teams should get whatever they can but at the same time I like having some sort of mechanism in place to keep teams at least somewhat competitive. In real baseball, teams can't just unload their entire teams and it's aggravating when fantasy teams do that. In RJEL, we have a 3-year prize but in my other league we don't have anything. I proposed having a minor penalty to the team(s) that finish last (and 2nd to last) but that was shot down.

We have a fairly hard in season salary cap and salary floor, along with a rule limiting a dumping team to giving three players for one keeper. It makes dumping very tricky, but it stops what you are concerned about.