Benchwarmer Baseball - A Year Round Proposition

This is a re-posting of an entry from November 2009...with new dates added.

Sure, you're probably still working on your fantasy football teams - and maybe you've got basketball and hockey going on too...but Benchwarmer Baseball keeps you active throughout the winter.

Quick note - some dates below might be in flux...the ones below represent a push back in some dates.  They will not be moved any earlier.

What should you be doing from now until Opening Day?

Trade with other teams - We run 2 fall trading sessions...the deadlines are Dec. 3 and Dec.17.  Did you keep a player under contract that you now regret?  Do you have too many high-priced players?  Do you need a lot of help for your team?  Do you want to address a position of weakness NOW?  This is the only chance to trade until after the Redistribution Draft in February.  Because nobody's paid salaries for 2011 yet, there's no cash assumption/rebate on salaries right now.  The team picking up the player will be 100% responsible for the salaries later in December.  Also - since there are no cuts right now, you temporarily do not have to worry about roster sizes and limits.

Choose players to keep - You can keep up to 28 players for your 2011 roster.  You don't have to keep that many (or any at all!).  But, if you have any players on your rosters with contracts for 2011 or beyond, you are obligated to keep them.  Once the cuts are processed, you will get charged for the 2011 salaries - so you need to pick your carry overs with these things in mind:

• Your roster must be legal.  You obviously won't be over 40 total players, but you must fit in the limits for hitters/pitchers making more than 250.
• The cash you have now is all you'll get.  Whatever you leave yourself is all you'll have for the Redistribution Draft and free agency until Opening Day.
• In January-March, if you end up deciding to cut a player you originally carried over into 2011, you do get a salary rebate - but only at 50%.
• Carryover choices are due Friday, Dec.31
• Use the table of information below your team roster to give you some guidance on whether or not your roster will be legal and how much cash you'll have left with your current set of cuts.

Pick Players in the Redistribution Draft - Once the players cut from rosters go back into the free agent pool, our first operation is to run the Redistribution Draft.  This is an optional exercise, but is your chance to pick up free agents (and new prospects added to the player list in December).  Teams pick in reverse order of 2010 finish...and get three players at a time.  We run the draft for 5 rounds, so that's 15 selections you can make.  Obviously, this is a chance for the lower-finishing teams to pick up good players or prospects.  Don't miss the chance.  Your picks for the Redistribution Draft will be due Sunday, January 16.

Free Agency and Trading - After we process the Redistribution Draft (sometime in late January), we go into weekly free agent pickups and trades again through the end of March.  This is where you put the finishing touches on your roster for your championship run in 2011.  Current plans should give you 9-10 weeks of transactions between the draft and the start of the season.

Set your Opening Day Lineup - Date TBD