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Every year in my keeper league, there are "keeper" trades that cause an uproar throughout the league, inevitably leading to people threatening to quit, etc.
The league is 12 team ML universe, 5 x 5, 14 hitters, 10 pitchers, six bench, 3 DL, one ML . We keep five players a year. In the first year they are kept at their auction price plus $5 with $5 bumps each year. A player can be kept for up to three years. Free agents are kept at $5 with the same $5 bumps. The auction is $266.
Currently, the only measure in place to police lopsided keeper trades is a $325 cap with a $150 roster minimum. The cap has done nothing. We have open trade voting, but it rarely does the job and often causes further outrage.
The trades are common: team A is in contention and team B is out of it. Team A trades a cheap keeper and team B gives up numerous studs. Examples:
Edwin Encarnocion ($5 next year) was traded for Wainwright, Fowler, Vogelson, Freddie Freeman, Pedroia, Swisher, Janssen.
Jose Bautista ($15 next year and on the DL at time of trade) for Cliff Lee, Kenley Jansen, Nelson Cruz and Johnny Cueto.
The issue is not that prospects are being traded for proven studs; its that the trades are lopsided beyond reason. With only five keepers, dealing away a good value keeper does not cripple the contending team for the future. Therefore, they just shouldnt have the value given in these types of trades.
We have tossed around everything from tightening the salary (lower cap, higher min) to a trade panel. Any ideas?
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