Post by Milwaukee Brewers GM on Sept 26, 2018 21:39:19 GMT
MLBD Constitution
Major League Baseball Dynasty
Commissioner: John Alcorn, Greg Lizarraga, Dustin Worthington
Updated December 2024
I. Disclaimer
A. All rules are subject to change if it is in the best interest of the league.
B. Owners are not permitted to own more than one team in the league. If found to be doing so or if it is known for certain that you have colluded with another team to gain an advantage at the other owner’s expense, you are subject to be removed from the league and no refund will be given.
II. Introduction
A. This is a league created for fantasy baseball enthusiasts who desire a league that resembles, as closely as possible, the challenges of being an actual GM.III. General rules
A. League Size: 30 teams (Real life team names, ex. Atlanta Braves)1. There will be an American League and a National League.
2. Each league will have an East, Central and West division
B. Scoring System: Head-to-Head matchups with Points-based scoring.
C. League Host: Fantrax.com
D. League Forum: mldynastyleague.proboards.com/
E. Player Pool: All MLB
IV. Treasury
A. Entry Fees: $50 per team (2015). 30 teams x $50 per team = $1,500.00 ($60/team in 2026)B. The host site will be Fantrax and it will cost $129.95. This fee will be included in the $50 entry fee and will be deducted from the $1,500 prize pot.
C. Pay-Scale:
1. Consolation Bracket Winner: $25.002. Division Winners: $50.00 per team (6 teams) $300 total
3. Wild-card: $25.00 per team (6 teams) $150 total
4. 4th Place: $60.00
5. 3rd Place: $100.00
6. 2nd Place: $245.00
7. 1st Place: $490.05
D. Fantrax Treasurer will function as our league’s treasury. All fees will be paid into a joint account, and then be paid out from said account as stipulated.
E. League fees will be required to be paid by 12/1 of each year. Teams cannot make trades until after the league fee is paid.
F. A league Side Pot of $25 per team can be entered optionally to reward the top regular season team by points in each league. This optional side pot can be entered following free agency, but before MLB Spring Training games.
V. Scoring
A. The scoring for this league is meant to create realistic value for players;1. Hitting:
a. At bats: -0.30
b. Strikeouts: -0.15
c. Hits: +2.00
d. Double: +0.50
e. Triple: +1.00
f. Home Run: +1.50
g. Walk/HBP: +1.60
h. RBI: +0.50
i. SB: +0.60
j. Caught SB: -0.80
k. Picked Off: -0.80
l. GIDP: -0.4
2. Defense:
a. Assists by outfielders: +0.5
b. Caught Stealing Against (Catcher Only): +0.7
c. Stolen Bases Against (Catcher Only): -0.3
3. Pitching:
a. IP: +2.80
b. Strikeouts: +0.30
c. Earned Run: -2.20
d. BB/HBP/Hit: -0.50
e. Balks: -0.50
f. Saves: +1.30
g. Holds: +1.00
B. Start limit for pitchers:
1. The maximum limit for starts per week for pitchers will be 1 start for each day there are games. This will be 7 for all weeks except any week with more or less than 7 days where start limit will equal the number of days in the period. If you go over this limit you will lose your top scoring start of the week for each start over the limit.VI. Scheduling
A. The schedule will be split into weekly matchups; Mon-Sun B. Our league’s regular season will run for 20 weeks.
C. This will result in a total of 20 regular season weeks and 162 matchups, which will be 8 matchups per week for weeks 1-12, 15-20 and 9 matchups per week for weeks 13 and 14, which will be divided evenly into eighteen games vs. other division teams (72 games total), six games vs. the rest of the teams in your league (60 games total), two games vs. each team from the opposite league.
D. The playoffs will start week 21 and will run through week 24.
E. The Matchup tie-breaker will be the home team gets the win. It’s very unlikely this will ever come into play, but just in case.
F. Standings tie-breakers will be as follows:
1. Head-to-head record vs. team(s) tied with.
2. Most fantasy points for entire season.
VII. Post-season
A. Playoffs1. The three division winners from each league and three wild-card teams from each league will compete in a bracket style playoff for the League Championship.
a. The Wild Card Round will consist of the three wildcard teams plus the lowest record Division winner.
1. AL #3 (DIV Winner) vs. AL #6, AL #4 vs. AL #5
2. NL #3 (DIV Winner) vs. NL #6, NL #4 vs. NL #5
b. The LDS Round will consist of the top 2 division winners from each league and the winners of the wild card round.
1. AL #1 vs. worst remaining record
2. AL #2 vs. AL #3
3. NL #1 vs. worst remaining record
4. NL #2 vs. NL #3
c. The LCS Round will consist of the 2 American League winners playing each other and vice versa for the National League teams.
d. The World Series will consist of the AL Champion playing against the NL Champion for the title of the World Series. (3rd and 4th place will be determined by consolation matchup.)
B. Consolation Bracket - The top 16 teams that do not make the playoffs will play in a consolation bracket with seeding by record (points tie breaker, no re-seeding by round).
VIII. 26 Man Roster
A. Each team in this league will have a maximum MLB roster of 26 active players in season. In the offseason this is increased to 40.B. The maximum Active (starting) roster will be 18 players. This will be separated as such:
1. Hitters:a. C: 1
b. 1B: 1
c. 2B: 1
d. 3B: 1
e. SS: 1
f. CF: 1
g. OF: 1
h. OF: 1
i. UT: 1
2. Pitchers:
a. SP: 3
b. RP: 4
c. P: 2
C. There will be 8 reserve spots on each roster for non-starting players.
D. There will be IL spots to be used for your active roster.
1. Player has to be on the IL in real life to be eligible for IL in this league.2. Once player is removed from IL in real life, you will have 2 days to remove him from the IL in the league.
3. If that player is not removed from the IL within 2 days, he will be removed by the commissioner and sent to the active roster of minors if he has options remaining. If you do not have the ability to create roster room via minors demotion, he will be placed on waivers.
IX. 40 Man Roster
A. The 40-man roster (offseason enforced) includes the players on your MLB roster, players on the 15/10 day IL and minor leaguers that you designate. Any player on a MLB contract counts towards the 40 man limit that is enforced during the offseason.1. In order for a player to be eligible to be placed on the 40-man roster, he must be signed to a MLB contract.
2. During the regular MLB season there will be no 40 man roster enforcement, however, minor league demotion rules apply (Rookie contract players can be moved up/down freely, all other MLB contract players must go through waivers to be demoted to minors).
B. Any player on a team’s 40-man roster is eligible to be called up to the 26 man active roster and inserted into the starting lineup at any time, provided you are able to make a corresponding move to clear a spot (This includes a player who is on a Rookie contract and can be sent to the minors or a player who has cleared waivers.)
C. Position Eligiblity
1. Position Eligibility for Hitters:a. 5 games played in previous season.
b. 5 games played in the current season.
2. Position Eligibility for Pitchers
a. 5 games started in previous season for SP.
b. 5 games started in current season for SP.
c. 5 relief appearances in previous season for RP.
d. 5 relief appearances in current season for RP.
X. Playoff Roster
A. Qualifying teams must post their playoff roster for each round on the league message board on Fantrax before the start of the 1st game of the series. If a team does not post, then the active roster at the start of the 1st game will be locked in.
B. Playoff rosters may only be changed in between series unless there is an injury to a player (must be red flagged on Fantrax.) If a player is replaced due to injury, he may not be reactivated until the next series.
C. In order for a player to be eligible for a playoff roster, he must have been on a team's roster at least 7 days prior to the beginning of the playoffs. This includes players rostered in minor leagues who can be promoted.
D. When setting the playoff roster, players can be moved to the minors regardless of contract to facilitate setting the active roster.
XI. Minor League Roster
A. Terminology
1. Prospect:
a. Any player that, in his major league career, has less than or equal to 130 at-bats or 50 inning pitched.
2. An eligible prospect MUST be signed to a Major League team. Collegiate, Prep, and International players will not be considered eligible until they sign a contract with a Major League Organization.
B. Minor League Roster Structure
a. In addition to the 26-Man Roster, each team will have a maximum of 175 roster spaces available for Minors eligible players.2. Graduation
a. Any player that surpasses the 130 at-bat or 50 innings pitched threshold must be promoted to that team’s 40-man roster. This can be done at any time before the player reaches these marks, but must be done at the end of the season after he has passed them.
b. If a player is promoted, that player will receive a pay raise to the MLB minimum salary ($535,000), which will be applied immediately to the current season’s salary cap.
c. If an owner decides that he does not want to promote this player to his team’s 40-man roster, he can release that player in the offseason at no cost.
d. If an owner decides to release a graduated prospect during the season in question, this player will be subject to normal free agency rules.
XII. Minor League Drafts
A. First Year Player Draft
1. There will be an annual First Year Player Draft which will be held in early December each season.
a. This draft will consist of 10 rounds.
b. The draft sequence will be linear, or non-snake, with the order being reflective of the final standings from the previous season before the one completed. For example the Draft to be held in December 2023 (picks labeled as 2024 in Fantrax) will be based on 2022 MLBD standings. Beginning 2023 draft, the top 5 draft order positions will be determined by lottery consisting of the bottom 4 team by prior year record and the winner of the previous year consolation bracket. Beginning 2026, the lottery will only contain the bottom 4 picks and the Consol winner will get a pick between rounds 1 and 2.
c. These draft picks will be tradeable.
d. MLB Rule 4 Draft Players will be eligible in their draft year, as long as they have signed with their drafting team in MLB.
e. INTL players from the preceding INTL class (January 15 class) will be eligible for the draft. For example, Jan 15, 2023 class will be drafted in December 2023.
f. This draft is optional and you do not need to make every pick. However, please post that you want skipped so we’re not waiting on you.2. Prospect Contracts
a. Each prospect drafted in the 1st Year Player Draft will be given a 1 year deal at $88,000 per year, which automatically renews each year until player either crosses the 130/50 threshold, is promoted to the 40-man roster or you release the player.
A. Each team will have a hard salary cap, which will be $165,500,000 for the 2021 season. The cap will increase annually by 1% for inflation.
B. Hard Salary Cap means no team will be allowed to spend more than that during the season. Any move that puts you over the salary cap will be reversed. In the offseason, contract updates and arbitration awards may put a team over the cap prior to the legal roster deadline of 12/1. During this time teams can make trades as long as the result decreases their cap amount.
C. The MLB minimum salary will be $535,000.
1. This amount will not apply to Rookies or Prospects that are placed on the Prospect roster.a. Upon graduation from Rookie status or if a prospect is promoted to the 40-man roster, that player will receive a raise to the League Minimum salary of $535,000 and will be given the MLB Rookie Contract (or greater if MLB service time dictates). If a player has a minor league contract higher than $535,000 that will become his Rookie contract.
D. The salary cap will cover all players that are assigned to the 26-Man MLB roster, the 40-Man roster, Minor League Roster and the Injured list, ie. all players on roster.
XIV. Contracts
A. Option Years1. You may add an option to the end of any 1/2/3/4 year contract. Doing so will allow you to decide whether or not to keep a player for one year at the average annual salary (AAS) of his contract or decline the option and pay a 10% buyout fee. Contract option decisions will be due on 12/1 each year.
B. Team Control
1. If a player is signed to a free agent deal and the deal expires before the player has reached 6 years of MLB service time, the team will retain his rights for future years until he has reached 6 years. Each offseason team control is defined by real life MLB service time as reported by Baseball Reference or Fangraphs. This will determine Rookie or Arbitration year. (This excludes original 2015 contract players). Player contract values cannot be decreased via team control. For example, player X was signed to a FA contract worth $2.0 million for 1 year, when it expires his next contract cannot be less than $2.0 million and any arbitration value will be added to this baseline. Team Control decisions will be due on the actual MLB non-tender deadline each year or December 1st, whichever is later in the year.a. ex: I sign a young player to a 2 year deal and when the deal expires, he has only reached 5.5 years of service time. He would then be in his ARB 3 season and I would have the option to retain him for that next year at the ARB 3 price.
2. International free agents 25 years or older do not have team control beyond their initial league FA contract.
3. Players who sign in a foreign league from MLB/minors must be dropped and will re-enter the league via free agency if they return.
C. Contract Structure
1. The maximum contract length will be 5 years.2. The minimum contract length will be 1 year.
3. The maximum contract length for players signed for less than $1,500,000 is 1 year.
4. The maximum contract length for players signed for between $1,500,000 total salary and $2,999,999 total salary is 2 years. (minimum of $750,000 AAS)
5. The maximum contract length for a player signed for between $3,000,000 total salary and $7,999,999 total salary is 3 years. (Minimum of $1,000,000 AAS)
6. The maximum contract length for a player signed for between $8,000,000 total salary than $20,000,000 total salary is 4 years. (Minimum of $2,000,000 AAS)
7. Contracts can be back loaded or front loaded, which is explained below.
8. When signing a player to a contract, you may backload or frontload the contracts, but can not exceed the 20% limit. What this means is that if a player was won for $25,000,000 and given a 5 year contract ($5,000,000 AAS), their salary can not be more than $6,000,000 and not less than $4,000,000 for any given year. Backloading is limited to 10% on any contract over $20M AAV. Teams have 24 hours from the end of the auction to post any front or backloading on proboards.
a. Example, I win player A in Free Agency bidding at $25,000,000 ($5,000,000 AAS).
b. I can set up his contract like this:
1. 2015: $6,000,000
2. 2016: $5,500,000
3. 2017: $5,000,000
4. 2018: $4,500,000
5. 2019: $4,000,000
9. Players who cross the 130/50 threshold or who are promoted to the 40-man roster must be given a Rookie Contract. Team will have control of the player until he has reached 6 full years of MLB service time. Each year’s salary and arbitration eligibility will be determined by the amount of MLB service time accrued at the end of the previous season. Rookie 1 will be 535,000, Rookie 2 will be 545,000, and Rookie 3 will be 555,000.
10. Each prospect drafted in the 1st Year Player Draft will be given a 1 year deal at $88,000 per year, which automatically renews each year until player either crosses the 130/50 threshold, is promoted to 40-man roster or that player’s team releases the player.
11. Older players in free agency can only be signed to a contract of max length of 40 minus current age plus 1 (maximum of 1 year for players 40 or older). For example, if a player will be 38 on opening day he can only receive a 3 year contract in free agency.
D. Arbitration Contracts
1. All players who’s rookie contract expires after 3 years (or qualify for MLB Super 2 status) will be arbitration eligible.2. Arbitration contracts, also known as ARB, have a controlled service time of 3/4 years, but they only count as 1 contract year, because they are not guaranteed over the course of those 3 years. Arbitration year will be determined by MLB service time.
3. After the player has completed all 3/4 arbitration eligible seasons, he is eligible for free agency.
E. Qualifying Offers
1. A qualifying offer is a 1 year offer worth the average of the top 125 salaries from the prior year that you can make to an impending free agent at the end of his contract. ($17.4 million in 2018) QO decisions will be due on 12/1 each year.2. If you offer a player a qualifying offer and another team outbids you and wins him in free agency, the team who made the qualifying offer will receive a 1st round compensation pick at the end of the first round if signed for equal to or over $50 million total value, or a 2nd round compensation pick if signed for less than $50 million total value.
3. What makes a Qualified Free Agent?: In order to be eligible to receive a Qualifying Offer, a player must
a. Be a pending free agent with 6 or more years of Major League service who was with the same Club (without interruption) since Opening Day of the just-completed season. A pending free agent who was acquired via trade during the previous campaign is not eligible.
XV. Arbitration Structure
A. Arbitration raises will be applied after each season.1. Arbitration Scale:
a. In the first year of arbitration, a player will be awarded a raise of $5,000 per point for all of his points accumulated since his promotion plus his Rookie 3 salary (or previous season salary if he had a MLB FA deal in place). Arbitration salary cannot be lower than the previous year salary.
b. In years 2-4 of arbitration, a player will be awarded $10,000 / $14,000 / $16,500 per point from the previous season.
1. Example: David Price
i. 2009 points = 147.54
ii. 2010 points = 345.37
iii. 2011 points = 337.43
iv. 2012 points = 370.55
v. 2013 points = 289.51
vi. 2014 points = 401.48
vii. 2011 Salary: $555,000
viii. 2012 Salary (Arb 1) =$4,706,700
1. (830.34*$5,000 + $555,000)
ix. 2013 Salary (Arb 2) = $8,412,200
1. (370.55*$10,000 + $4,706,700)
x. 2014 Salary (Arb 3): $12,465,340
1. (289.51*$14,000) + $8,412,200
xi. 2015 Salary (Arb 4): 19,089,760
1. (401.48*$16,500) + 12,465,340
XVI. Injured List
1. Each team will have unlimited in-season injured list spots available for use on their active roster.
2. The players assigned to these injured lists spots will be able to be activated and deactivated at each manager’s discretion.
3. Once a player has been officially removed from his MLB team’s IL his owner then has 2 days to move that player back to his 26-man roster or 40-man roster, or else the player will be waived.
4. Players can not be placed on the IL during the off-season.
5. Players that are suspended are not eligible to be placed on the IL.
XVII. Transactions
A. Free Agency
1. MLB Free Agents are won through bidding on Proboards using the bid point system beginning in Mid-January each year. (Contact commissioner if you need a copy of your spreadsheet or have questions)
a. Minimum AAS for MLB players is $535,000
2. Prospects with between 1 and 130 AB or 1 and 50 IP are bid on using AAS.
a. Players with no MLB experience will be bid on through the blind bidding system on Fantrax.
b. Players with at least 1 AB / 0.1 IP, but less than 130 AB / 50 IP will be bid on through Proboards.
c. Minimum minor league salary is $88,000
d. An MLB contract offer will supercede a minor league contract at all times, regardless of value.
e. If a prospect is won for an AAS of $535,000 or greater, then their salary will remain the same in their 1st season on the 40-man roster and will increase appropriately ($10,000) each of the next 2/3 seasons.
Example: ML Player is won for $700,000 AAS. Once they are promoted to 40-man roster their contract will be $700,000, $710,000, $720,000
f. International prospects 25 or older that sign are subject to normal free agency rules as soon as they officially sign with an MLB team.
g. Minimum bid increase is 10% for minor league free agents.
h. Bid must stand for 24 hours in order for the player to be won.
3. Teams cannot outbid their available cap room at any time. Bids are placed based on a AAS. You cannot exceed cap on any free agent bids based upon presumed backloading of potentially won contracts.
B. Waivers
1. Any player under contract may be placed on revocable waivers ("waived") at any time. If a player is waived, any team may claim him. If more than one team claims the player from waivers, the team with the weakest record in the player's league gets preference. If no team in the player's league claims him, the claiming team with the weakest record in the other league gets preference. In the first month of the season, preference is determined using the previous year's standings. If a team claims a player off revocable waivers and has a viable claim as described above, his current team (the "waiving team") may choose one of the following options:
● arrange a trade with the claiming team for that player within two business days of the claim; or
● rescind the request and keep the player on its major league roster, effectively canceling the waiver; or
● do nothing and allow the claiming team to assume the player's existing contract, pay the waiving team a waiver fee, and place the player on its active major league roster.
If a player is claimed and the waiving team exercises its rescission option, the waiving team may not use the option again for that player in that season—a subsequent waiver would be irrevocable with a claiming team getting the player essentially for nothing.[6] If no team claims a player off waivers after three business days, the player has cleared waivers and may be assigned to a minor league team, traded (to any team), or released outright (This requires a buyout). Teams can trade a player while on waivers and this supercedes the waiver process.
1. As of the 2016 season, waivers have been split into two separate waivers. Revocable waivers, which require a player to clear the 3 day period before a roster spot is created and is described above. Irrevocable waivers are largely the same, with the difference being that rescinding the waiver is not an option and it creates a 25 and/or 40man roster spot immediately as the player can be immediately demoted to the minors.
2. The waiver period is suspended between the end of the league World Series and the 12/1 legal roster deadline.
C. Minor League Options
1. Any player on a Rookie contract can be freely demoted/promoted to/from the minors during the season. Waivers only apply to players with Arbitration or MLB Free Agent Contracts who cannot be demoted without clearing waivers. D. Trades
1. Trades can involve players, prospects, and Minor League draft picks. a. You CAN NOT trade cap space.
b. You can place coverage on players in trades, but there are limits to it.
c. There will be no trading between the league trade deadline and the completion of the annual contract update.
d. In order to trade draft picks 2 years away, teams must pay the next year's league entry in advance.
1. You can only place coverage on a player’s salary for the current year.2. You cannot cover more than 20% of the player’s yearly salary.
3. You cannot give away more than 10% of the year’s salary cap in coverage.
2. How to make a trade.
a. To complete a trade, you must agree to the trade on Fantrax AND post it on the Proboards forum.
1. Trades should be posted in the “Official Trades” section of the forum. The first team needs to post the trade, the second team and any additional teams involved in the trade must post that they agree to trade. This must be completed within 48 hours of acceptance of the trade or it will be canceled. Exception - trades must be posted/confirmed on proboards before midnight at the trade deadline to be completed. 2. Once the legal roster deadline of 12/1 has passed, no trade can be completed that puts a team over the salary cap. The only exception will be in the period between the end of our World Series and 12/1 when teams already over the cap can make trades to reduce their cap burden.
3. The trade deadline in this league will be the Sunday one week before the beginning of our league playoffs at 11:59 P.M. EST.
4. In order for a trade to be processed the same day, the trade must be accepted by all teams on both the Fantrax and Proboards sites at least 6 hours before the first game of the day. All other trades will be processed the following morning.
E. Buyouts/Release of Player
1. Buyouts are different than placing a player on waivers.a. When you post that you want to buyout a player, you automatically bypass the waiver system and remove that player from your roster, incurring any additional fees that may apply.
2. The buyout fee will be the entirety of the remaining salary and it will be charged towards the salary cap for the year that the buyout was performed. (the current season)
a. Example: Player A contract is $1,800,000 for 2015 and $2,200,000 for 2016. The buyout would be $4M.
3. For prospects with a 1 year auto-renew contract, the buyout amount is the current yearly salary. (Prospects can be released in the off-season at no cost)
4. Rookie contract and Arbitration players will only be the current year’s salary. (These players can be released at no cost during the off-season, prior to the deadline by simply not tendering them a contract or offering arbitration.)
5. New owners to the league can drop one inherited contract for free upon joining.
F. Retirement/Foreign Leagues/Career Ending Injury/Death
1. In the case of a player officially retiring, a career ending injury or a death, there will be a free release of the player and his contract.2. Players who leave MLB for a foreign professional league must be released at no cap cost.
XVIII. Governance
1. The goal of this league is to mimic MLB rules, thus in cases not defined herein, the default will be to MLB rules.
2. For issues not addressed herein, rulings will be made in the best interest of the league by vote of the three commissioners.