2015 auction price for Trout?

[Mithrandir]

14 team...mixed...5x5...$300 draft day budget...8 keepers...

This league of which Madducks and Mag7 also belong, has a history of paying huge sums of money on draft day for the top studs. Top prices in the past have gone as high as $70 for Pedro Martinez, ARod and Pujols in their primes.

How high would you go for Trout? Is he THAT much better than the other studs that he is worth going over $70..$75..$80???

I guess it depends a lot on the prices and quality of your keeper list.. and your opinion on the depth of talent in MLB..

Thoughts?

[Pogues]

I paid $68 for him this year on a $260 budget (keeper league), $14 more than Cabrera (who I also bought!!) and $20 more than Tulo. I never regretted it, considering where I am at in the league right now, finals of H2H league and up big. $75 doesn't seem looney to me, especially if your keeper league has a few low priced beasts.

[Sour Masher]

In my league, Trout would go for about 120 on the open market, but it is a $400 budget and we keep 15, so twice the inflation. Adjusting down for those factors, I could see going up to 80 for Trout. Personally, I am never the guy who ends up with the highest priced player--too much risk in investing that much in one player; one popped Achilles and your season is over. But I do push others up close to it. I'd be bowing out in the mid 70s in most situations, but if I had the money to spend, I'd lose sleep over Trout going for under $70 in that format. Especially with the continued shift toward pitching in baseball. Premium bats are hard to come by these days.

[Gregg]

I think the highest price paid in my 12 team only leagues was 50 or 52.

I might go that high if I had a good cheap keeper to average it out.

When we start talking about 68 or 70 bucks i have to ask what two players could I get for 35 a piece?

[Mithrandir]

I think the highest price paid in my 12 team only leagues was 50 or 52.

I might go that high if I had a good cheap keeper to average it out.

When we start talking about 68 or 70 bucks i have to ask what two players could I get for 35 a piece?

But which pair will be better....Trout and a $1 player or the two $35 players?

[Sour Masher]

That depends on the $1 and the two $35. Is the $1 player this year's Michael Brantley, and the two $35 Cargo and Kemp circa 2014? Or is the $1 Brandon Hicks, and the two $35s Gomez and Abreu (how much did they go for last year in your league?). It comes down to whether you are better at guessing right on end game scrubs, or do you have a better track record with knowing which 2nd and 3rd tier talent will perform at or above cost?

Spreading the risk is safer, so I lean that way, but in a 14 team league, you can also afford to swing for the fences. Barring a major injury, it is hard to loss in taking Trout at any price it takes to get him. I'd rather overspend on him than waste that cash speculating on "sleepers" that everyone prices up late in the auction. Still, I usually chicken out on the really top guys....I blink when bidding on a single guy goes past 25% of a cap (75 in your league), no matter how good he is. A loss of that much equity to a single major injury is just too scary to me.

[The Dane]

I think you have to pay for Trout what it takes to get the best player in your league. Different leagues have different valuations, but he should be the most expensive player. That said, I doubt I would ever pay what it took to get him. Let someone else sink $70 into him, and all his $1 fliers will be crap, because my leagues are tough enough and the owners are knowledgeable enough that $1 fliers are pretty crappy. The good late gamers in my leagues usually go for $2 or $3. When you spend so much on one guy, you make your late game the ground on which your final standing will be determined. A group of good owners will make sure you lose it there.

Caveat: If your keeper list is WAY better then everyone else's, like $20 better, then go after Trout and pay $70. You will have eaten your advantage, but you won't be worse off in the end game.

[frae]

OK, not to hijack this too much, but if the going auction price in an Only league for Trout will be over $60 up to what price would you extend him. I currently have him at $5 and he will be an option guy next year. I have always played it safe with contract extensions and I think taking someone up to 3 years is as long as I have gone. With Trout and it costing me $5 per extra year I am thinking of taking him to $20 through 2018 or do I go longer?

[DMT]

OK, not to hijack this too much, but if the going auction price in an Only league for Trout will be over $60 up to what price would you extend him. I currently have him at $5 and he will be an option guy next year. I have always played it safe with contract extensions and I think taking someone up to 3 years is as long as I have gone. With Trout and it costing me $5 per extra year I am thinking of taking him to $20 through 2018 or do I go longer?

A lot can happen in four years, I wouldn't go further than that.

[DMT]

I think I'd bid him up to about $75. As others have said, my final decision would hinge on the make-up of my keeper list and the other stars available. If I had several $1-3 guys, I'd be more willing to bid higher. Likewise if Trout is the only top-5 player in the auction.

[Mithrandir]

A lot can happen in four years, I wouldn't go further than that.

Is there a penalty if you want out of the contract (or any contract) before the contract is finished? Depending on the penalty I might take the chance and go up to 6 years.

[Mithrandir]

I think I'd bid him up to about $75. As others have said, my final decision would hinge on the make-up of my keeper list and the other stars available. If I had several $1-3 guys, I'd be more willing to bid higher. Likewise if Trout is the only top-5 player in the auction.

My keepers will probably be around $112. so it would probably be prudent not to go after Trout. But why do the prudent thing???

I will more than likely go after him and bid up to $75 or so....and trust that I can find enough talent to fill my roster and be competitive.

[Sour Masher]

Is there a penalty if you want out of the contract (or any contract) before the contract is finished? Depending on the penalty I might take the chance and go up to 6 years.

In my league, the penalty is full payment for one buy out year, and 50% penalty for each additional year, so buying out a $20 on contract for 3 years would cost 20+10+10=40. Despite the harsh penalty, I'd STILL extend trout to a fifth year. $25 for Trout is a steal.

[frae]

Is there a penalty if you want out of the contract (or any contract) before the contract is finished? Depending on the penalty I might take the chance and go up to 6 years.

You pay half the contract one time and lose that from your auction budget. So I would owe $10 on a $20 and $13 on 25.

[Sour Masher]

You pay half the contract one time and lose that from your auction budget. So I would owe $10 on a $20 and $13 on 25.

That is a light penalty. I would definitely not be afraid of going to $25 on Trout.