Rules Update

[Cardinals]

Pat and Nils made a first pass at the rules. If nobody has time between now and Sunday, I can take a look at it Sunday night. It's been the No. 1 complaint so far from the peoples, so we really ought to work to get this done.

[Dodgers]

I definitely will not have time to look, I'm swamped right now (between new company and finding an apartment by end of the month). Perhaps my main contribution can be making a page for them on the site?

[Astros]

I should have time tomorrow, trying to get caught up on everything today

[Guardians]

A note from JP's review of the rules:

"One thing we should take a look at this season is how we handle American players who go to Japan and return. At present, our rules state that if a player goes to Japan, they must be dropped from our roster. But there's no measure for when they return. Meaning, Tullar signed Mikolas this season before he signed with the Cardinals. Under this current rule, he should've been ineligible to be signed. I believe Hamlin got away with something similar with Thames last year, too.

We should probably clean this up to include these players within ZiPS bidding guidelines."

How do we want to handle this issue? I also think it makes sense to extend zips bidding money to any foreign free agents coming back to the U.S. So, this would exclude foreign league players eligible for our draft. But it would include the Eric Thames, Mikolas, etc. of the world who go from US to Japan and back. Do we need to expand the zips budget as a result to provide more opportunities? At a minimum, we need to start the zips bidding thread as soon as the offseason begins and tweak the rules language/post the changes to the league. Thoughts?

[Astros]

Should we include guys that come back in the draft? Nobody that's ever went over there has value, but there's always value when they come back. What will happen with Zips bidding is a bunch of people will bid their entire budget on a guy

[Guardians]

Should we include guys that come back in the draft? Nobody that's ever went over there has value, but there's always value when they come back. What will happen with Zips bidding is a bunch of people will bid their entire budget on a guy

That's also part of the point of zips bidding...using the waiver wire to allow bad teams to get better, while also allowing everyone to participate (ie: west coast teams who aren't on fangraphs at 6 a.m.). I don't fully mind a bad team getting an Eric Thames so they can flip them for some good prospects.

[Dodgers]

I think Zips bidding money should also cover these foreign free agents returning, rather than acquiring them via draft. Total Zips bidding utilization is low enough that I don't see a reason to increase budgets for it.

[Cardinals]

Agreed with Shawn.

[Guardians]

I'm fine with that and will add to the rules document.

[Guardians]

I'm fine with that and will add to the rules document.

If anyone has input, I'd like a clarification:

ZiPS bidding will cover zips free agents. We've now decided ZiPS bidding will also cover any foreign free agents who are not eligible for the draft (ie: former MLB players who sign free agent MLB contracts like Mikolas and Thames). Should we keep the bid amounts open from offseason to offseason in case there happens to be a foreign free agent who comes over mid-season? I think the situation would be rare, but I think we need to give people guidance if this is our mechanism for handling foreign free agents, should it apply all year or just the offseason? I think it applies all year and your zips budget for the 18/19 year, for instance, would be after the last out of the World Series through the following last out of the World Series. So, if some guy comes over mid-season, that's still your means to acquiring him. Thoughts?

[Astros]

I think if someone comes over midseason, they go to ZIPS bidding in the fall

[Dodgers]

Yea, I think they can’t be signed, similar to July 2 guys. That being said, I can’t remember a player who came over mid season.

Other input: don’t players go onto waivers once the player comps get posted on Twitter?

[Guardians]

Yea, I think they can’t be signed, similar to July 2 guys. That being said, I can’t remember a player who came over mid season.

Other input: don’t players go onto waivers once the player comps get posted on Twitter?

No waivers. We just don't allow signings of that team's players until zips waivers. So, when he posts the Mets, for instance, you can't sign any Mets until you go through the zips waivers process.

[Dodgers]

Yea, that’s what I meant. The language in the rules states that you can’t sign when they’re posted to Fangraphs, but it’s when comps are posted to Twitter.

[Guardians]

Yea, that’s what I meant. The language in the rules states that you can’t sign when they’re posted to Fangraphs, but it’s when comps are posted to Twitter.

Gotcha. I'll go revisit that language.