How Do We Handle Ugueth Urbina?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 11:20 am

During today's live chat, I stated that Ugueth Urbina will be allowed to be drafted on March 20 in the NFBC even if he's not on a 40-man roster as it's fair to everyone to have an equal shot at him. But I also stated that he wouldn't be allowed to be bid on in Auction Leagues because he won't be established in either of the leagues.

Someone didn't agree with my ruling for Auction Leagues and I'm more than willing to change to the betterment of the league. Should Ugueth Urbina be allowed to be bid on during our Auction Leagues and if so, do his stats only count for the league that he winds up in? In other words, if he's not signed to a major-league team by March 19, do you gamble on whether he will fall in your league or not?

That's the question and I want as many answers from those owners participating in the Auction Leagues as possible. Thanks for the input as it will only make the leagues stronger for the future.

Cellar Dwellers · Post by **Cellar Dwellers** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 11:53 am

I would say that Urbina should be allowed to be bid on in the AL and NL auctions. His stats should only count for the league that he actually ends up signing with, assuming that he doesn't sign with Japan, which is a possibility. Being able to take him in the first round of the reserve draft just gives too much of an advantage to the person that picks 1st there. Let the bidders decide what Urbina's value is. For the NFBC, I agree, he should be able to be drafted by anyone at any time.

rotatorcff · Post by **rotatorcff** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 11:54 am

Here is my take. The NFBC rules clearly state that a player must be on a 40 man roster in order to be draft eligible. If we are going to make an exception, fine, but in that event I suggest dropping the 40 man roster rule for the NFBC and allow owners to draft whomever they want regardless of roster status. If someone wants to draft a low A player or some guy in Japan, have at it I say.

For the auction leagues it gets a little trickier. I say caveat emptor. If someone wants to commit their draft dollars to a "maybe", let them do it. Let the market dictate the player's value given the uncertainty surrounding his status, as long as AL guys know they don't get stats if the player winds up in the NL and vice versa.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 12:07 pm

I agree with both points. The 40-man roster designation deals with our license with the MLBPA, which has player rights for those guys on the 40-man roster. We are allowing people to draft players like Joe Mauer, who aren't technically on the 40-man roster but who will be by Opening Day, because it makes sense. So far I agree with your assessments on Urbina.

BB of the Leaderboard · Post by **BB of the Leaderboard** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 12:56 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

We are allowing people to draft players . . . who aren't technically on the 40-man roster but who will be by Opening Day . . .Under MLB's new math, many decent veteran players are signed to minor league, non 40-man roster contracts prior to spring training and then allowed to participate in Spring Training to win a spot on the roster. This allows the teams to go through most of spring training with these players without having to drop prospects from the 40-man roster until the team decides actually to go into the season with the selected vets -- and then they "buy their contracts" from the minor league affiliate. For many players this will be well after March 20th. I presume your expanded eligibility rules avoid the potential problem of figuring out which players are actually on a roster and which are still "trying out." I don't see why the same rule can't apply to free agents as long as any free agent signed by an "other league" team prior to opening day automatically is dropped. Also, am I correct in assuming that if I buy one of these "nonroster" players at the auction and, horrors, he ends up at the AAA affiliate, I will be allowed to salt him away on my reserve roster rather than lose him?

B(Always ready to help)B

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 1:02 pm

Greg, I have already stated my viewpoints on this issue. It's too much of an advantage for the person with the #1 reserve pick. I'll take it one step further: All players should be available to the auction, so long as they are not currently under contract by the "other" league. If unsigned players should happen to go to the other league (i.e. AL Auction League owner takes Urbina, he signs with an NL team), then he does not get any stats for the player unless he somehow (via trade or waiver) winds up back in the proper league.

Of course, as far as the other 99 and 44/100ths percent of the other players (who are already under contract), should these players get traded to the other league after the auction, you should get to keep that player's stats for the rest of the season.

Hopefully I have somehow made some sense here.

Dyv · Post by **Dyv** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 1:06 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

During today's live chat, I stated that Ugueth Urbina will be allowed to be drafted on March 20 in the NFBC even if he's not on a 40-man roster as it's fair to everyone to have an equal shot at him. But I also stated that he wouldn't be allowed to be bid on in Auction Leagues because he won't be established in either of the leagues.

Someone didn't agree with my ruling for Auction Leagues and I'm more than willing to change to the betterment of the league. Should Ugueth Urbina be allowed to be bid on during our Auction Leagues and if so, do his stats only count for the league that he winds up in? In other words, if he's not signed to a major-league team by March 19, do you gamble on whether he will fall in your league or not?

That's the question and I want as many answers from those owners participating in the Auction Leagues as possible. Thanks for the input as it will only make the leagues stronger for the future. The only issue I can see is that we've already got built into the auction leagues that if a player is drafted but ends up going to the other league that his stats still count for your team. If Urbina were coded as an NL player (since he was most recently that...) and drafted in the NL universe then we would all be protected. If he goes to the AL, he's a free agent player eligible for bid during regular season moves. If he's an NL player but goes to the AL then his stats can count for you since he 'moved' to the other league.

What if he signs with one league and gets traded to the other, lol?

Dave

viper · Post by **viper** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 1:24 pm

For those of us who are only drafting in the main event, it seems that UU will be available and our only decision will be how early or late to draft him. After that we can only pray he doesn't have a fondness for sushi or desire an early retirement.

Am I correct?

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 1:58 pm

You are correct, Viper. There are two issues to be decided with Urbina, and neither concerns the mixed-league NFBC draft:

(1) Is Urbina eligible to be bid upon during the auction stage of the AL/NL Auction Leagues?

and

(2) If Urbina does not sign with a MLB team prior to the auction, and on March 20th or after he signs with a team in the "other" league, does the team that selected him (be it via auction or reserve draft) get his stats?

Since there are only 25 or so people that this applies to, anyone in an Auction League should immediately weigh in on this issue.