New Fantasy Judgment decision – fantasy baseball trade rejected (Cole Hamels, again)

SUPREME COURT OF FANTASY JUDGMENT

4 Ponies v. Beaver Hunters

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI FROM THE INCONTINENT LEAGUE 

Decided June 15, 2011

Cite as 3 F.J. 37 (June 2011)

Factual Background

A rotisserie fantasy baseball league (hereinafter referred to as “Roto league” or “The Incontinent League”) utilizing an auction-style draft and transaction platform seeks an evaluation of a trade made between two teams within the Roto league.  This is an NL-only keeper league where each team is permitted to maintain up to ten (10) players during each off-season with each individual player allowed to be kept for a maximum of three (3) years.  Each team is also permitted to keep two minor league players which are in addition to the ten players kept.  This Roto league also has a $36.00 in-season salary cap that is applicable for all teams.   

As with many rotisserie leagues, the subject Roto league uses the standard 5×5 scoring categories to determine the standings and prize money.  For offensive players, the five categories are: (1) batting average; (2) homeruns; (3) runs batted in; (4) runs scored; and (5) stolen bases.  For pitchers, the five categories are: (1) wins; (2) earned run average; (3) WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched); (4) strikeouts; and (5) saves.  Statistics are cumulative throughout the course of the season and there are no head to head games contained within the Roto league.

Procedural History

The 4 Ponies have made a trade with the Beaver Hunters.  The 4 Ponies traded Jhoulys Chacin (SP-COL), Jordan Lyles (SP-HOU), and Randy Wolf (SP-MIL) to the Beaver Hunters in exchange for Cole Hamels (SP-PHI) and Leo Nunez (RP-FLA).

Previously, the Court rejected a trade between these two teams for the same players minus Randy Wolf.  See 4 Ponies v. Beaver Hunters, 3 F.J. 26 (June 2011) (holding that the package of Jhoulys Chacin and Jordan Lyles was not sufficient compensation for Cole Hamels and Leo Nunez, thus undermining the best interests of the league due to the inequity of the trade).  Now, the Court is being asked to consider this trade with Wolf being added to balance out the equitability of the deal.  The Court was made aware that several members of The Incontinent League challenged that trade as being too lopsided, and the Court subsequently agreed. 

Issue Presented

(1)   Should the modified trade between the 4 Ponies and the Beaver Hunters be upheld and approved?

Decision

The Supreme Court of Fantasy Judgment typically favors individual fantasy sports participants and teams’ ability to make moves, transactions, and trades.  The standard of review has been that people pay money to purchase a team in a league, draft their team, and manage it accordingly.  Whether success is bred from that individual’s decision-making is purely left to some skill, luck, dedication, and savviness.  The Court also acknowledges that the analysis for evaluating trades is much different in a keeper league than a non-keeper league.  A trade that may look uneven or lopsided on its face may receive a different opinion when it is involved in a keeper league.  The reasons for this are obvious, but must be restated.  In a keeper league, teams that are having unsuccessful seasons are more likely to continue to pay attention and make moves that will set themselves up for better success in the following season.  They can do this by acquiring young talent that is not under contract within the league, or by dumping salary (assuming it is an auction league) and allowing greater financial flexibility to sign key players in the next season’s draft.  In non-keeper leagues, there is no rationale for thinking ahead, nor is there any need to stockpile young, inexpensive talent.

Another factor that the Court must always consider is whether there is any collusion or under-the-table dealings going on between teams.  The Court has not been presented with any evidence of such malfeasance, so assumptions will be made that this is not an issue. 

The Court has always held that the approval or rejection of a trade is based purely on its fairness, free from collusion, and in the best interests of the league.  Whether a trade is intelligent or popular will not be part of the analysis.  The virtue of a trade is measured in both quantifiable criteria and subjective needs of the teams involved.  See Carson City Cocks v. Stud Muffins, 3 F.J. 23, 24 (May 2011).

At first glance, the trade of Jhoulys Chacin, Randy Wolf and Jordan Lyles in exchange for Cole Hamels and Leo Nunez does not look even.  The reason for initial pause is identical to the rationale from the previous incarnation of this trade.  See 4 Ponies v. Beaver Hunters, 3 F.J. 26, 27 (June 2011) (holding that the trade did not appear even on its face because Hamels is unequivocally one of the top pitchers in both real and fantasy baseball, and any trade he is involved in should likely have a player of equal or approximate value on the other side).  Additionally, Nunez is one of the top closers in the National League which makes him anything but a throw-in in the deal.  The package in return includes three starting pitchers with varying degrees of success and consistency.  As stated in the previous case, Chacin is the best pitcher in the package and he has only had a modicum of success in his brief professional career.  He is certainly worthy of being designated an up and coming prospect, but hardly worth a player of Hamels’ stature alone.  Lyles has impressed the Astros enough to remain in their starting rotation, even after Wandy Rodriguez was activated.  This was not anticipated when the Court previously denied this trade, so the Court recognizes that Lyles’ value is marginally greater than before due to his remainder on the big league roster.  The addition of Randy Wolf is what the Court is being asked to consider as the balancing factor in the deal.  In general, Wolf has never been more than an average pitcher in both real and fantasy baseball.  He is a crafty veteran that is neither a short-term solution or part of the long-term plan on a keeper league fantasy baseball team.  The Court now provides a statistical comparison amongst the players:

Player	Wins	ERA	Strikeouts	WHIP	Saves
Cole Hamels	9	2.49	97	0.92	0
Leo Nunez	0	3.30	32	1.20	19
Jhoulys Chacin	7	2.90	74	1.09	0
Randy Wolf	4	3.20	65	1.23	0
Jordan Lyles	0	4.15	12	1.21	0

From looking at these players’ current statistics, it can be argued that the numbers amongst the starting pitchers is equivalent because their totals are not far apart.  In fact, the Beaver Hunters would be getting back more wins (13) collectively than Hamels has attained on his own (9).  But that cannot be the lens in which this trade is viewed.  Hamels currently leads the National League in both wins and WHIP.  As stated earlier, Nunez leads the National League in saves with 19.  In this NL-only fantasy baseball league, they are arguably two of the most valuable players in the entire league.  Loading up multiple players whose cumulative statistics equal or surpass one individual’s superstar statistics does not necessarily make a trade fair or even.  Granted, Chacin has been impressive and looks to be a legitimate pitching prospect.  But he is hardly a sure thing and cannot be considered equivalent value for Hamels.

When analyzing the fairness and equity of a trade, the Court will consider each team’s individual needs to assess whether the trade subjectively made sense from each team’s perspective.  See Cajon Crawdads vs. Carson City Cocks, 1 F.J. 41, 42 (June 2010) (upholding a trade for Jason Bay because of the Carson City Cocks’ desperate need for a starting outfielder due to the demotion of Cameron Maybin).  Since this incarnation of the trade only includes an additional mediocre starting pitcher, the Court will adopt its prior reasoning in terms of the needs of each team and their respective rosters.  See 4 Ponies v. Beaver Hunters, 3 F.J. 26, 28 (June 2011) (holding that no reasonable inference can be made as to how the Beaver Hunters benefit at all from the trade given how their current roster is construed).

In terms of keeper league status and salary cap value, this trade doesn’t make sense either.  Nunez only costs $0.10 and is in his final year under contract, which means he will be available in the 2012 draft.  However, Hamels is only in his first year under contract and can still be kept for an additional two years at $3.10.  It must be considered where these players are in terms of their career which is helpful in analyzing possible motivation to perform.  Hamels is arbitration-eligible after the season when his current contract expires with the Phillies.  He is clearly motivated to justify seeking an arbitration award comparable to Tim Lincecum’s record-setting deal.  After he likely agrees to a one-year contract with the Phillies, he will be pitching in 2012 as a pending free agent.  This should serve as an extra motivating factor for him to succeed as he will likely be seeking Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee type years and dollars on the open market.  The Beaver Hunters have him locked up under contract for these important seasons.  To trade him away for unequivocal value in return is incomprehensible.  Even assuming arguendo that Jhoulys Chacin’s potential is equivalent for Hamels’ current value, Chacin is only signed for one more year before he re-enters the Incontinent League’s draft.  So the Beaver Hunters are missing out on one whole year of productivity in this exchange.  From a financial standpoint, the Beaver Hunters are only gaining $1.60 in net salary cap space by making this trade (Wolf only costs $0.10 and still has two years left on his contract).  In a league with a $36.00 salary cap, that does not represent a significant enough amount when dealing with a players of Hamels’ magnitude.

As referenced in Smittydogs v. Moneyball, 1 F.J. 32, 34 (June 2010), the dichotomy between the 4 Ponies and the Beaver Hunters’ motivations is precisely why the Court must look at trades in keeper leagues differently than non-keeper leagues.  If this trade had been made in a non-keeper league, the Court would vehemently reject it. 

It should be reiterated that the Court typically favors a league owner’s ability to make trades and manager the roster according to his/her own preferences and judgments.  When a person pays money to participate in a fantasy league, the presumption is that he/she is permitted to make whatever decisions they feel are best for their team.  However, when a trade such as this is proposed, it throws off the competitive balance of the league and creates a slippery slope for future trades.  The Court has no issues with the idea of trading Cole Hamels and/or Leo Nunez.  However, given what the Beaver Hunters were receiving in return, the Court cannot endorse such a maneuver due to the inequity of the return package.  Even adding Randy Wolf to the trade does not even out the trade enough to prevent it from unjustly throwing off the competitive balance of the league.  The Court must consider the impact and effect on the overall league when determining whether a trade should be accepted or rejected.  Based on the foregoing reasons, the Court hereby decides that the subject trade, in this current incarnation is unfair, uneven, and should be modified again before being granted approval.  The trade should be rejected as it still fails to comport with the best interests of the league.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

New Fantasy Judgment decision – fantasy baseball trade (Justin Upton)

SUPREME COURT OF FANTASY JUDGMENT

4 Ponies v. Nub Vader

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI FROM THE INCONTINENT LEAGUE

Decided June 8, 2011

Cite as 3 F.J. 30 (June 2011)

Factual Background

A rotisserie fantasy baseball league (hereinafter referred to as “Roto league” or “The Incontinent League”) utilizing an auction-style draft and transaction platform seeks an evaluation of a trade made between two teams within the Roto league.  This is an NL-only keeper league where each team is permitted to maintain up to ten (10) players during each off-season with each individual player allowed to be kept for a maximum of three (3) years.  Each team is also permitted to keep two minor league players which are in addition to the ten players kept.  This Roto league also has a $36.00 in-season salary cap that is applicable for all teams.   

As with many rotisserie leagues, the subject Roto league uses the standard 5×5 scoring categories to determine the standings and prize money.  For offensive players, the five categories are: (1) batting average; (2) homeruns; (3) runs batted in; (4) runs scored; and (5) stolen bases.  For pitchers, the five categories are: (1) wins; (2) earned run average; (3) WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched); (4) strikeouts; and (5) saves.  Statistics are cumulative throughout the course of the season and there are no head to head games contained within the Roto league.

Procedural History

The 4 Ponies have made a trade with Nub Vader.  The 4 Ponies traded Brandon Beachy (SP-ATL), Domonic Brown (OF-PHI), and Logan Morrison (OF-FLA) to Nub Vader in exchange for Cameron Maybin (OF-SD) and Justin Upton (OF-ARZ).

Issue Presented

(1)   Should the trade between the 4 Ponies and Nub Vader be upheld and approved?

Decision

The Supreme Court of Fantasy Judgment typically favors individual fantasy sports participants and teams’ ability to make moves, transactions, and trades.  The standard of review has been that people pay money to purchase a team in a league, draft their team, and manage it accordingly.  Whether success is bred from that individual’s decision-making is purely left to some skill, luck, dedication, and savviness.  The Court also acknowledges that the analysis for evaluating trades is much different in a keeper league than a non-keeper league.  A trade that may look uneven or lopsided on its face may receive a different opinion when it is involved in a keeper league.  The reasons for this are obvious, but must be restated.  In a keeper league, teams that are having unsuccessful seasons are more likely to continue to pay attention and make moves that will set themselves up for better success in the following season.  They can do this by acquiring young talent that is not under contract within the league, or by dumping salary (assuming it is an auction league) and allowing greater financial flexibility to sign key players in the next season’s draft.  In non-keeper leagues, there is no rationale for thinking ahead, nor is there any need to stockpile young, inexpensive talent.

Another factor that the Court must always consider is whether there is any collusion or under-the-table dealings going on between teams.  The Court has not been presented with any evidence of such malfeasance, so assumptions will be made that this is not an issue. 

The Court has always held that the approval or rejection of a trade is based purely on its fairness, free from collusion, and in the best interests of the league.  Whether a trade is intelligent or popular will not be part of the analysis.  The virtue of a trade is measured in both quantifiable criteria and subjective needs of the teams involved.  See Carson City Cocks v. Stud Muffins, 3 F.J. 23, 24 (May 2011).

At first glance, the trade of Brandon Beachy, Domonic Brown and Logan Morrison in exchange for Cameron Maybin and Justin Upton looks fair.  Justin Upton is the best player involved in this trade so the equitability of the deal will focus on him and what was given in return.  Uptonhas emerged as one of the best all-around players in both real and fantasy baseball.  What makes him so appealing in roto leagues is his power and speed combination that only a handful of players possess.  Maybin was projected to be the same type of player but has yet to really put it all together in his young career.  Clearly the 4 Ponies, currently in 2^nd place, are looking to add more power and speed to their roster.  In exchange, they have traded two other young outfielders in Brown and Morrison.  Both of them are highly touted as well and have performed well in their brief careers.  However, neither possesses the same power/speed combination that Maybin and Upton have.  Despite that, Morrison has been entrenched as the Marlins everyday left fielder and is right in the middle of their lineup.  Brown was only recently called up to the Phillies due to injuries and ineffectiveness of their current crop of outfielders.  He has not played much against lefties, but it is expected that he will be worked into an everyday position as the season goes on.  In addition to Morrison and Brown, Nub Vader is acquiring Braves’ starting pitcher Brandon Beachy.  Beachy is currently on the disabled list with an oblique injury but is projected to come back within the next couple weeks.  He had pitched well before the injury and will be a solid addition to Nub Vader’s staff which is sorely in need of help. 

Statistically, the trade favors 4 Ponies by virtue of Upton and Maybin’s collective performance.  However, it must be taken into consideration that Brown was only recalled a couple weeks ago and Morrison missed several weeks due to injury earlier in the season.  This partially explains why their statistics are not nearly as close, which is demonstrated in the table below:

Player	AVG.	HR	RBI	Runs	SB
Justin Upton	.272	11	30	36	11
Cameron Maybin	.254	5	15	24	7
Domonic Brown	.283	1	6	6	1
Logan Morrison	.295	7	21	19	1

Over the course of a full season with full playing time and no injuries, all players involved in the trade are projected to have more equivalent statistics.  The evaluation must take into account why there is such a discrepancy at the time the trade is made.  As previously stated, Brown was in the minor leagues and Morrison was injured.  Now that all players are active and healthy, the trade can be viewed through an appropriate lens which shows it is equitable.

When analyzing the fairness and equity of a trade, the Court will consider each team’s individual needs to assess whether the trade subjectively made sense from each team’s perspective.  See Cajon Crawdads vs. Carson City Cocks, 1 F.J. 41, 42 (June 2010) (upholding a trade for Jason Bay because of the Carson City Cocks’ desperate need for a starting outfielder due to the demotion of Cameron Maybin).  This trade at issue involves four outfielders and one starting pitcher.  The exchange of two outfielders for two outfielders essentially cancels each other out in terms of specific needs for each team.  The fact thatUpton is in the trade and is the best player involved necessitated the inclusion of Beachy.  Despite being injured, Beachy will be a welcome addition to Nub Vader’s pitching staff which is severely lacking in quality starters (he currently has J.A. Happ, Jeff Karstens, Jake Westbrook, Mike Leake and Joe Blanton).

In terms of keeper league status and salary cap value, this trade includes a large disparity in monetary value.  Beachy,. Brown and Morrison cost $0.50 each.  Maybin also costs $0.50 andUptoncosts $4.20.  This means that Nub Vader is gaining $3.20 in salary cap space which represents almost 10% of the Incontinent League’s $36.00 salary cap for each team.  In terms of contract status,Uptonis in the first year of his contract so the 4 Ponies will have him for another two years after this.  On the other hand, both Brown and Morrison only have one year left on their contracts.  Presumably, Nub Vader will be able to use his newly-acquired salary cap space to replenish his team in the 2012 draft.  Beachy is in the first year of his contract, and given his youth and initial success with the Braves, Nub Vader will certainly benefit from having him locked up for another two years. 

As referenced in Smittydogs v. Moneyball, 1 F.J. 32, 34 (June 2010), the dichotomy between the 4 Ponies and Nub Vader’s motivations is precisely why the Court must look at trades in keeper leagues differently than non-keeper leagues.  If this trade had been made in a non-keeper league, the Court would still likely approve it. 

It should be reiterated that the Court typically favors a league owner’s ability to make trades and manager the roster according to his/her own preferences and judgments.  When a person pays money to participate in a fantasy league, the presumption is that he/she is permitted to make whatever decisions they feel are best for their team.  Based on the foregoing reasons, the Court hereby decides that the subject trade is fair and even.  The trade should be approved as it comports with the best interests of the league.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

New Fantasy Judgment decision – fantasy baseball trade rejected (Cole Hamels)

SUPREME COURT OF FANTASY JUDGMENT

4 Ponies v. Beaver Hunters

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI FROM THE INCONTINENT LEAGUE

Decided June 8, 2011

Cite as 3 F.J. 26 (June 2011)

Factual Background

A rotisserie fantasy baseball league (hereinafter referred to as “Roto league” or “The Incontinent League”) utilizing an auction-style draft and transaction platform seeks an evaluation of a trade made between two teams within the Roto league.  This is an NL-only keeper league where each team is permitted to maintain up to ten (10) players during each off-season with each individual player allowed to be kept for a maximum of three (3) years.  Each team is also permitted to keep two minor league players which are in addition to the ten players kept.  This Roto league also has a $36.00 in-season salary cap that is applicable for all teams.   

As with many rotisserie leagues, the subject Roto league uses the standard 5×5 scoring categories to determine the standings and prize money.  For offensive players, the five categories are: (1) batting average; (2) homeruns; (3) runs batted in; (4) runs scored; and (5) stolen bases.  For pitchers, the five categories are: (1) wins; (2) earned run average; (3) WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched); (4) strikeouts; and (5) saves.  Statistics are cumulative throughout the course of the season and there are no head to head games contained within the Roto league.

Procedural History

The 4 Ponies have made a trade with the Beaver Hunters.  The 4 Ponies traded Jhoulys Chacin (SP-COL) and Jordan Lyles (SP-HOU) to the Beaver Hunters in exchange for Cole Hamels (SP-PHI) and Leo Nunez (RP-FLA).

According to the Commissioner of the Incontinent League, several members of the league have challenged this trade as being too lopsided.  There are no known issues between the two teams involved in the trade, or with other teams that have challenged the validity of the trade. 

Issue Presented

(1)   Should the trade between the 4 Ponies and the Beaver Hunters be upheld and approved?

Decision

The Supreme Court of Fantasy Judgment typically favors individual fantasy sports participants and teams’ ability to make moves, transactions, and trades.  The standard of review has been that people pay money to purchase a team in a league, draft their team, and manage it accordingly.  Whether success is bred from that individual’s decision-making is purely left to some skill, luck, dedication, and savviness.  The Court also acknowledges that the analysis for evaluating trades is much different in a keeper league than a non-keeper league.  A trade that may look uneven or lopsided on its face may receive a different opinion when it is involved in a keeper league.  The reasons for this are obvious, but must be restated.  In a keeper league, teams that are having unsuccessful seasons are more likely to continue to pay attention and make moves that will set themselves up for better success in the following season.  They can do this by acquiring young talent that is not under contract within the league, or by dumping salary (assuming it is an auction league) and allowing greater financial flexibility to sign key players in the next season’s draft.  In non-keeper leagues, there is no rationale for thinking ahead, nor is there any need to stockpile young, inexpensive talent.

Another factor that the Court must always consider is whether there is any collusion or under-the-table dealings going on between teams.  The Court has not been presented with any evidence of such malfeasance, so assumptions will be made that this is not an issue. 

The Court has always held that the approval or rejection of a trade is based purely on its fairness, free from collusion, and in the best interests of the league.  Whether a trade is intelligent or popular will not be part of the analysis.  The virtue of a trade is measured in both quantifiable criteria and subjective needs of the teams involved.  See Carson City Cocks v. Stud Muffins, 3 F.J. 23, 24 (May 2011).

At first glance, the trade of Jhoulys Chacin and Jordan Lyles in exchange for Cole Hamels and Leo Nunez does not look even.  The reason for initial pause is because Hamels is unequivocally one of the top pitchers in both real and fantasy baseball, and any trade he is involved in should likely have a player of equal or approximate value on the other side.  One exception to this is in a keeper league where teams out of playoff contention are looking to build for the future by trading expensive, star players in exchange for cheaper prospects.  It should be noted that this trade was made for Week 10 of the fantasy baseball season and no team in the Incontinent League has been mathematically eliminated from a playoff spot or precluded from a monetary prize.  Another reason to question the trade on its face is the inclusion of Nunez WITH Hamels in the deal.  Nunez does not possess the same name recognition as Hamels, but all he has done is lead the National League in saves thus far in 2011.  Given the Incontinent League is NL-only, Nunez has considerable value now as the best closer in the league.  On the contrary, both Chacin and Lyles are prospects in theRockiesand Astros organizations respectively.  Chacin has almost a year’s worth of big league experience and has had some moderate success thus far.  Lyles only recently made his debut and will likely be sent back down to the minors.  Neither of them elicits the same projected value to warrant comparison to Hamels and Nunez collectively.

When analyzing the fairness and equity of a trade, the Court will consider each team’s individual needs to assess whether the trade subjectively made sense from each team’s perspective.  See Cajon Crawdads vs. Carson City Cocks, 1 F.J. 41, 42 (June 2010) (upholding a trade for Jason Bay because of the Carson City Cocks’ desperate need for a starting outfielder due to the demotion of Cameron Maybin).  This trade at issue involves three starting pitchers and one closer.  Prior to the trade, the Beaver Hunters (in 10^th place at the time) had a pitching staff that consisted of Hamels, Yovani Gallardo and Johnny Cueto as its best starting pitchers.  They also had Nunez, Carlos Marmol and Craig Kimbrel as closers.  Based on this, it can be justified why the Beaver Hunters would trade Nunez because they are still left with two top closers and can compete for points in the saves, ERA, and WHIP categories.  However, removing Hamels from their staff significantly weakened their starting pitching.  Additionally, the Beaver Hunters current offensive roster consists of Ryan Braun and a plethora of average platoon players.  Granted, they have Ryan Zimmerman and Buster Posey on the disabled list which has affected their team.  But the overarching commentary on the Beaver Hunters’ roster is that they are in desperate need of offensive help.  Trading Hamels and Nunez would make more sense if the Beaver Hunters were acquiring commensurate players to improve their offense.  Chacin is a young and rising pitcher who has shown flashes of brilliance early in his career.  But he is hardly as productive or consistent as Hamels.  Lyles is another young prospect with the Astros who recently made his major league debut due to injuries inHouston’s rotation.  However, with Wandy Rodriguez set to be activated from the disable list this week, it is likely that Lyles will be sent back down to the minors as the corresponding move.  Based on the aforementioned reasons, the Court cannot reasonably infer how the Beaver Hunters are benefiting from acquiring Chacin and Lyles.

In terms of keeper league status and salary cap value, this trade doesn’t make sense either.  Nunez only costs $0.10 and is in his final year under contract, which means he will be available in the 2012 draft.  However, Hamels is only in his first year under contract and can still be kept for an additional two years at $3.10.  It must be considered where these players are in terms of their career which is helpful in analyzing possible motivation to perform.  Hamels is arbitration-eligible after the season when his current contract expires with the Phillies.  He is clearly motivated to justify seeking an arbitration award comparable to Tim Lincecum’s record-setting deal.  After he likely agrees to a one-year contract with the Phillies, he will be pitching in 2012 as a pending free agent.  This should serve as an extra motivating factor for him to succeed as he will likely be seeking Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee type years and dollars on the open market.  The Beaver Hunters have him locked up under contract for these important seasons.  To trade him away for unequivocal value in return is incomprehensible.  Even assuming arguendo that Jhoulys Chacin’s potential is equivalent for Hamels’ current value, Chacin is only signed for one more year before he re-enters the Incontinent League’s draft.  So the Beaver Hunters are missing out on one whole year of productivity in this exchange.  From a financial standpoint, the Beaver Hunters are only gaining $1.70 in net salary cap space by making this trade.  In a league with a $36.00 salary cap, that does not represent a significant enough amount when dealing with a players of Hamels’ magnitude.

As referenced in Smittydogs v. Moneyball, 1 F.J. 32, 34 (June 2010), the dichotomy between the 4 Ponies and the Beaver Hunters’ motivations is precisely why the Court must look at trades in keeper leagues differently than non-keeper leagues.  If this trade had been made in a non-keeper league, the Court would vehemently reject it. 

It should be reiterated that the Court typically favors a league owner’s ability to make trades and manager the roster according to his/her own preferences and judgments.  When a person pays money to participate in a fantasy league, the presumption is that he/she is permitted to make whatever decisions they feel are best for their team.  However, when a trade such as this is proposed, it throws off the competitive balance of the league and creates a slippery slope for future trades.  The Court has no issues with the idea of trading Cole Hamels and/or Leo Nunez.  However, given what the Beaver Hunters were receiving in return, the Court cannot endorse such a maneuver due to the inequity of the return package.  Based on the foregoing reasons, the Court hereby decides that the subject trade is unfair, uneven, and should be modified before being granted approval.  The trade should be rejected as it fails to comport with the best interests of the league.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Passing Judgment – A Pocket Full of Posey

If you have been living under a rock for the last 48 hours, then you should know that Giants’ catcher Buster Posey suffered a horrific injury on May 25, 2011 when he was run over by Scott Cousins of the Marlins trying to score the go ahead run in extra innings on a sacrifice fly.  Posey, the budding superstar and key component of their 2010 World Series championship, suffered a broken fibula and potentially serious ligament damage.  He will require surgery and could miss most, if not the rest, of the season.  From a pure competitive standpoint, this is devastating to the Giants to lose their catcher, cleanup hitter, on-field leader, and one of the best young players in all of baseball. 

Clearly the team and manager Bruce Bochy are upset that they will be without Posey for quite some time.  But after the game, Bochy stated that he thought there should be some modification to the rules in order to help protect defenseless catchers from being bulldozed in a collision at home plate.  Bochy, a former catcher himself, said he understands that this is part of the game.  But his comments and suggestions seem a little self-serving.  First of all, Scott Cousins did nothing wrong in his physical confrontation with Posey.  Cousins’ job is to find a way to score, including doing whatever he can (within the rules) to knock the ball away from the catcher.  Posey was rightfully and appropriately trying to block the plate waiting to catch the one-hop throw from right field. 

In a sport that does not contain much contact outside of inadvertent touching, it is perfectly legal for a baserunner to plow directly into the catcher in his attempt to score.  Of course there are situations where a baserunner goes beyond the scope of fair play and plows into the catcher with the sole intent of inflicting injury.  Those are rare instances and should be dealt with accordingly.  But here, Cousins clearly had no intent to inflict injury.  His initial reaction after touching home plate was to express concern for Posey who was laying on the ground in obvious pain.  Cousins has since said he couldn’t sleep that night knowing he had inadvertently injured Posey. 

This was a legal and fair baseball play that had an unfortunate result.  Catchers are taught at an early age how to block the plate on incoming throws to prevent a baserunner from scoring.  The rationale is simple…don’t let the other guy score.  Of course there is an inherent risk of injury any time there is fierce contact at that rate of speed and with a catcher’s attention also focused on receiving the throw.  Posey knows that.  Bochy knows that too.  No one was complaining about the rules regarding contact at home plate before this happened, but hindsight is always 20/20.  Protecting players from injury is always a primary concern and priority for any major sport.  But injuries can happen anywhere and anytime.  Remember, Luis Castillo injured himself walking down the dugout steps.  Does that mean that all dugouts should be equipped with escalators to prevent such further injuries? 

Collisions at home plate are a part of the game and always have been.  Catchers assume that risk, as well as a myriad of other risks, simply by playing the position.  There is a reason that catchers’ equipment is called the “tools of ignorance.”  The position itself leads to more injuries because of how physically demanding it is on the human body.  The plethora of injuries to catchers, especially superstar catchers, seems to be at an all-time high.  Joe Mauer is constantly injured and he is being considered for a position change in the near future.  Victor Martinez has played a lot of first base and DH over the last few years to keep his bat in the lineup.  When Posey eventually comes back, it is highly likely he will exchange his catcher’s mitt for a first base glove.  The Washington Nationals and Bryce Harper deserve a lot of credit for recognizing these risks by grooming Harper as an outfielder.  If he remained behind the plate in his professional career, he would be more at risk for frequent injuries and a lesser impact with his bat.  The trend of moving good-hitting catchers from behind the plate has started and will now really pick up steam.

What happened to Buster Posey is unfortunate.  The primary concern is that he is able to fully heal after surgery and regain the full range of motion and use in his leg.  He is young enough where his body is more apt to recover.  But anyone who complains about the legality of the play or the rules that govern it is missing the point.  I understand why Bochy is so upset and why he questions the rules.  But was he questioning a pitcher’s ability to throw inside fastballs when Matt Cain hit David Wright in the head in 2009?  The answer is no.