Please welcome Mark Hinton to the Crooked Pitch family. He’s going to be a regular contributor moving forward.
Trading is entrenched in the fabric a baseball. Team’s trade players, kids trade baseball cards, but trading in fantasy baseball is going the way of the blacksmith; out the window.
Trading in fantasy baseball has become more difficult for several reasons, the first of which is the attempts by owners to unload injured goods. Every time I am sent a trade proposal I can’t help but think I am being sold a bill of goods. Many times I really am. I cannot count the number of times someone has tried to offer me a newly injured player before the player is listed as injured. This has to be the oldest scam in fantasy sports. This is why I always give myself 24 hours to mull over any trade offers and check out if the player has any issues that may keep him from playing.
The next reason is the sheer absurdity of the trade offers. RULE #1 QUANTITY DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY. Three mediocre middle relievers do not equal one top tier outfielder. I get these trade requests all the time. Then, after rejecting the original offer, the owner will “sweeten” the deal by throwing in another lousy player. There is no way an owner wants several players whose equal value can be found on the free agent list. Why would an owner want to create a logjam at a position with a bunch of players that are marginal and a hole at another, where they had a strong player to begin with? Please, do everyone in the league a favor; just keep these trade offers to yourself.
The next reason that trading has become more difficult is the “veto” power of the other owners. Leagues give owners veto power to prevent “collusion” or “dumping” situations in leagues that ruin the competitiveness for everyone. But some owners have taken this too far and vote to veto every trade that comes along. Andrew Johnson (the former president who was nicknamed Sir Veto for you non-historians out there) had nothing on these guys who obstinately block every attempt to better your team. These killjoys have abused the system and taken the fun out of many fantasy leagues.
Trading can be a way to mutually benefit two teams and make the game more fun. It is a great way to shake up the structure of your team at a time when you need it. Now, all you need to do is find a willing trading partner and a league with owners that will let it happen.
HAPPY TRADING
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April 17th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I find trading to be the most frustrating part of the game. Noone wants to make a trade unless the balance obviously tips in their favor. However, that does not mean that one should not try. I just obtained the services of Hamels for AJ Burnett. Both injury risks, however, Hamels does not have to face BoSox, Rays, and now Toronto. Even the Orioles look stocked at the top of their lineup.
But then i get gem offers like: me giving Garrett Atkins, Col 3B, Carlos Quentin, CWS OF for Brad Hawpe, Col OF and David Ortiz, Bos DH.
April 18th, 2009 at 7:48 am
[...] pitch get’s two shout outs today. One for their writeup on fantasy baseball trades. The other for a fantasy inbox post discussing a possible fantasy baseball [...]