We're doing an off-line draft and have had 2 players picked that are not on the Yahoo! available players list:
Mark Teixeira, 3B
Kenny Rogers, SP
I was trying to enter the rosters and couldn't find these guys. It's our first year at Yahoo! and as the league commish, I'm a little uncertain as to what to do next.
Anybody know how to contact Yahoo! to see how to get them on the available players list? Do you think they will be added before the season starts?
It seems like Teixeira will be since he's going to start (probably), but I have my doubts about Rogers, since he may not be on anyone's roster when the season begins.
I don't think you have much choice if your off-line draft is completed (unless you relish the thought of redoing the whole thing, which I don't see as feasible).
Post a message that the people who drafted the two players hold the rights to them (we'll call those people the "owner"), and that if/when Yahoo makes them available, no one else can claim those players. Anyone who does (by mistake or otherwise), must immediately trade the player to the owner for any player on owner's roster (owner's choice). Failure to do so will result in the offending person getting the boot.
Obviously, someone might be annoyed that the two owners get to keep a seat open, especially for Texteira, while carrying a full roster until he's available, BUT keep in mind that the owner actually spent a draft pick for which he's getting NOTHING until the player becomes available, so go pound sand.
Amnorix
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"You can observe a lot just by watching."
Not sure what the deal is with Rogers not being listed but I know Teixeira is not because he hasn't played in a MLB game yet. After he plays one Yahoo will put him on waivers.
Is Rogers a FA? If he is that may be the reason he's not listed yet.
As for Rogers, yes, any player who is not 'attached' to a team will not appear on Yahoo till signed.... Yahoo does not list players without teams to match to them.
Teixera has already been explained; as for the league problem: after this, whatever you decide, you might want to set up a league rule about this situation in offline drafts. Post it as a Commissioner's Note and/or email all the league members with it.
As for what to do now, Amnorix had good advice, but I'd go one step further. For Teixera and Rogers, have each manager pick, with your agreement as to appropriateness, a purely 'dud' player... someone of no value. For example, Albert Bell, retired from baseball but still on Yahoo's list. Of course, each would have to pick a different 'dud'.
They then must hold this dud on their bench till their drafted player appears on Yahoo's FA list, then they drop the dud and pick up the drafted player. (See below for one more detail.) This is made clear to all the other managers, and any manager who tries to 'steal' the drafted player when they show up has to immediately drop him or be 'locked' out of further play.
Why do this? It takes care (perfectly, I think) of the problem Amn. saw with his solution: the two managers who drafted unavailable players do not now get an extra 'slot' while waiting for the drafted player to become available.
"one more detail". The managers with the duds lose all preferential rights to their drafted players if they use their dud in any way. The dud must stay on the bench (reserve) until the drafted player is picked up. The one exception would be if the manager and another manager agree on a trade of the dud as a bench holder so the other manager can get the player drafted when he becomes available. This would have to be made clear to the league, and confirmed by the commish before the trade was allowed to be completed.
Ruben Sierra was not available either. He is a personal favorite of mine and I have followed him since he came into the league back in '86. I always draft him, but not this year. (And of course the year he wasnt in the league)