Guidance on Expansion Draft?

[robster1225]

Hey, when the season ends for my online league, we are going to be expanding by two teams.

Does anyone have any reommendations based on past experience on how to run an effective and fair expansion draft?

I'm trying to decide on how many players to allow existing teams to protect, as well as if I should allow the expansion teams to take part in our Ammy draft that is scheduled to take place in the offseason.

Any ideas?

[Charlie Hough]

A lot depends on existing roster sizes. And it all depends on how competitive you would like expansion teams to be.

One factor to consider is free agency. Will any of these expansion teams have an opportunity to sign some quality free agents, or will everyone already have new contracts?

If you want to allow expansion teams a very good chance to grab some talent, maybe you could allow existing franchises to protect only 80 to 85 percent of their major league rosters and allow all others and all minor leaguers to be available. Or maybe all minor leaguers above a certain age.

I would recommend that the expansion teams be given an opportunity to participate in the amateur draft. You might even want to give them the top picks. If not, they should still be allowed to participate in order to help stock their organizations with talent.

[robster1225]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hough

A lot depends on existing roster sizes. And it all depends on how competitive you would like expansion teams to be.

One factor to consider is free agency. Will any of these expansion teams have an opportunity to sign some quality free agents, or will everyone already have new contracts?

If you want to allow expansion teams a very good chance to grab some talent, maybe you could allow existing franchises to protect only 80 to 85 percent of their major league rosters and allow all others and all minor leaguers to be available. Or maybe all minor leaguers above a certain age.

I would recommend that the expansion teams be given an opportunity to participate in the amateur draft. You might even want to give them the top picks. If not, they should still be allowed to participate in order to help stock their organizations with talent.

Good ideas.
I'll talk to you more extensively about this on AIM if you don't mind.
I would have to look at dates, to see when to introduce the teams, so that they will be able to take part in Free Agency.