Why we process pre-season trades after Keepers are declared.

The reason we do not process trades prior to the declaration of keepers … is NOT because I am lazy…

It is done this way because we have specific requirements on keepers and processing trades after keepers are declared provides a “checks and balances” process to eliminate any confusion on who is an eligible Keeper and to prevent any gaming of the system.

Keepers… as the term implies are players you keep from the previous season.

Keepers are NOT guys you trade for in the Spring.

Our keeper settings allow you to keep up to 22 players from the previous season with the additional requirements that 6 of those 22 players must qualify as rookies, so in essence it breaks down to that you can keep up to 16 veterans and up to 6 rookies… you can keep more rookies if you wish, but if you do not have at least 6 rookie qualifying players on your roster you forfeit those rookie keeper slots.

I will process all trades after the Keepers are declared (keepers due on Saturday, March 2nd) and approved.

Additionally, I will process any further trades by Friday, March 9th in preparation of our Auction Draft on Sunday, march 10th. Note, that all pre-draft trades must include an equal transfer of players.

After the draft you can trade without these restrictions.

Suggested changes for 2024 MLB Season to be discussed this spring (NOW!):

a) Unlimited moves through end of Week 1 (start 7 moves per week limit with Week 2)
b) Minimum Innings Pitched reduced to 30 per week

- Discussion concludes and League settings finalized and posted on League page.

01/24/2024
2024 Baseball Guru's League XXI Guidelines:

A) Important Dates:
Keepers: Sunday, March 3rd meaning Yahoo locks the keepers at midnight Saturday, March 2nd
League Settings and Commissioner Note Finalized: Friday, March 1st
League Fees Due: Friday, March 8th
Draft: Sunday, March 11th, 3:00 PDT 6:00 p.m. EST
Opening Day: Wednesday, March 20th
All Star Break: Monday, July 15-18th (discuss/vote on new ideas for 2025)
Trade Deadline: Thursday, August 22nd (Yahoo setting)
Last Day unlimited player additions: Sunday, September 29th

B) League: 18 teams, 3 divisions of 6 teams

C) Team: Active Roster (30): C, C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, INF, RF, CF, LF, OF, Util, SP(3), RP(4), P(3), BN(8); NA(10); DL(10)

D) Keepers: Active roster 16 Keepers plus up to 6 MLB rookie eligible players (see section M)

E) Stat Categories:
Batting (10): R, H, RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, SB, BB, TB, OBP
Pitching (10): W, SV, HLD, K, BB, ERA, K/9, RAPP, H/9, QS
- Minimum Innings Pitched: 30 per week.

F) League Dues: $50 per team, funds Money Challenges due by Friday, March 8th
Please make out a check to Rick Whetsel & send League Dues to:
Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority c/o Rick Whetsel
11615 Sterling Avenue
Riverside, CA 92503
or make it easier on both of us & send League Dues through PayPal (as a personal payment) to: rawhetsel@yahoo.com

G) Trade Review: Commissioner (Yahoo setting)
Pre-Draft trades:
- must include equal number of Keepers players (no trading $ budget)
- must be confirmed by each manager on chat
- processed after Keepers posted

Regular Season trades (reviewed by Viper): Do not require an equal exchange of players.
- No Trading future draft picks or budget
- 1 hour grace period for accidental trade
- Trading current-season waiver (post-Draft ONLY)
- No conditional trades (ever)

H) Player Transactions:
Pre-Season: Unlimited preseason moves

Regular Season: Unlimited moves through end of Week 1, weekly moves limit of 7 moves per week begins Week 2 (Yahoo setting)
- 1 hour grace period for accidental player drops
- Current year MLB draft picks are not eligible to be rostered

Playoffs: Playoff teams competing for money are allotted 5 player adds per week, all other teams are locked out following last relevant game and any pending waiver transactions canceled
Unlimited Last day moves: All teams unlocked following the start of final MLB regular season game for unlimited Last Day moves. Players allotted on first come first serve basis through midnight PST. Players must be on bench to be eligible.

I) Schedule: 22 week Regular Season:
Weeks 1 – 17: teams plays each League opponent (Yahoo setting)
Weeks 18 – 22: teams play five division opponents (set by commissioner)

J) Playoffs (weeks 23-25): 8 Teams, 3 Rounds, seeded following Yahoo option, “Advance division winners but seed teams according to overall standings”
Playoff Tie Breaker: “Best regular season record vs opponent wins”

K) League Payouts ($900):
Regular Season ($150): Division winners ($50 each)
Play–Off Teams ($400): Playoff teams ($50 each)
Play–Offs ($300): 1st/$150, 2nd/$100, 3rd/ $50
At Large ($50): Most Improved team, not Play-off team year prior (based upon winning percentage)

L) Draft:
Draft Order: Draft slots 1 through 14 seeded in reverse order of end of regular season standings. Slots 15 through 18 seeded by final Play-off standings.
Draft Process: 8 Round Yahoo Live On-line Auction Draft followed by all free agent players being put on waivers for a special waiver event for teams to fill out the remainder of their rosters, where waiver order follows the draft order. After which the waiver order will be reset to the reverse of the draft order for the start of the Regular Season.
League keeper/draft Budget: Budget set at $8 above the highest Keeper budget, with minimum player values set at $1

Auction Draft: Auction starts with teams nominating players followed by player bidding.

NOMINATING A PLAYER
Teams nominate players following reverse order of last year’s final standings. Time to nominate players set at 15 seconds

PLAYER BIDDING
Auction “Bid Time Limit” set at 20 seconds, bids placed with 10 seconds or less reset the “Bid Time Limit” back to 10 seconds until bidding stops.

M) Rookie Keepers/NA Slots:
Team rosters include 10 NA positions set aside for inactive players. Prior to Draft teams declare up to 6 Keepers that qualify as rookies, in addition to their 16 active roster Keepers. Eligible players must have logged no more than 150 MLB at bats or 50 MLB innings pitched.

N) League Misconduct:
a) Failure to meet Weekly Innings:
- Each Offense results in the loss of a 1/8 of the next season’s available auction draft budget .
b) Abandoned Team –quitting or repeated failure to manage line-up/roster
Commissioner will notify League & immediately take over team and until manager is replaced 1) set daily line-up, as best possible 2) pitch ALL probable starting pitchers.
Lastly, Commissioner’s team reserves the right to intervene wrt any action by any