Hey guys I'm knew to this, I did fantasy baseball for the first time last year and ended up 21 games out of first, I know bad. I'm looking on how I can convince one of my opponents to make a good fair trade that makes me better right away?
A couple points to mention when trying to convince someone that a trade is good.
1) Back your points up with statistics: What did the player do last year? What have they proven to do in the past couple of years? If they don't have a long enough track record, what did they do in the minor leagues? Simply saying "Yo, this guy is awesome!" doesn't carry enough weight behind it.
2) Position scarcity: If you are trading away someone that is above and beyond a strong figure at his position, then that should an asset in of itself. Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop comes to mind, while third base, second base, and even closer have proven in the past to be difficult to fill with confidence.
3) Team, ballpark, and opponent value: If the players look equal regarding statistics and position scarcity, point out where the player is located. If he's got great support from the lineup (Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, etc) then he's more valuable than someone who plays for a bottom dweller (Pirates, Astros, etc). The ballpark has a lot to do with power or pitching potential, while opponents (especially for pitchers) could mean more wins or strikeout possibilities.
4) The other team's needs: Perhaps the most important aspect of a good trade is trying to help your team out while concurrently assisting the other team. The other team has to find a need in what you're offering, so whether it's position, youth, or keepability you need to make sure your trade is worthwhile for the other person for the upcoming season. Don't offer an outfielder if they've got plenty of them. Don't offer marginal players for a stud if the other manager doesn't have room for those marginal players.
Ultimately, you need to find a reason(s) for the other manager to accept your player onto their team. If you can't find an argument as to why they should bother, then they probably won't. Good luck in your upcoming season and your trading adventures.
Good post. I also prefer to talk/email with the other owner. It's hard to trade when just submitting proposals. Listen to what his needs really are. Sometimes if you're being too aggressive with stats or pushing a guy too hard it can alert the other owner to back off. "Why does he want to trade this guy if he likes him so much?".
I also try to find teams that are a real match. Look for depth and strengths of the other owner. Maybe he can afford to trade his star first baseman in your trade because he has someone like Lance Berkman (1B eligibility) in one of his OF spots. He can maneuver some things around to keep his team strong.
Watch to see which league mate shows the least amount of patience. There is usually at least one guy every year that thinks his steady vet is 'done' because he's been struggling for a month. Or maybe there is a lot of roster turnover early on. It's information like that you can gain before even talking to someone.
Email is your friend. Talk to your other league mates often. Make them feel comfortable approaching you. Plant seeds, constantly. If he has a player you like, tell him about it before the season even begins. You don't need to go for a deal right then, but you just planted a seed. Always be planting seeds.
Once you complete a swap, make sure you thank him again and let him know you love the deal for both of you. Youre building trading partners this way and if nurtured properly you can dip into that well many more times.
Try to never offend. If somebody sends you a shitty deal, take note of the players he wants to move, and counter, or just delete. Never tell him he is a Jack ass. Trading with him will be next to impossible for years.
abence22 wrote: I'm looking on how I can convince one of my opponents to make a good fair trade that makes me better right away?
Good luck!!! In my experience it's difficult to make trades in fantasy. Nobody trusts each other and always assumes they're getting ripped off. My advice is to always try to "sell high" on hot players. It's not always easy, but unloading a player who you believe has reached his peak could pay-off big in the end.
That's pretty true of public leagues where no one knows each other and where no one makes an effort to build some trust. Even there, you don't have to do a whole of work to get something done. Just keep in mind that it's all about salesmanship, and that's about building relationships and speaking to people's needs. You also need to be patient. Sometimes you send out a lot of offers and discuss a lot of different players before something clicks.
In a keeper league, or a league played with friends, it's really quite easy to build an environment where trades can happen. A little groundwork goes a long way.
To me even if the trade turns out well for myself, it always seems like I am giving up a bit too much. I think people tend to overvalue their own players, but if you can help the other person fill a need, it should work out. Take into account your needs and the needs of the other team as well. I am in a league with friends who I see at school and such so I talk to them about possible trades. We usually counter proposals for a while until we agree on something fair. I would say just try and be honest and don't just go in and try to screw people over.
In the end I usually find it works out better to wait things out if it takes a while than make a quick and bad decision. It could take some work but trades have helped me a lot in the past so it can definitely be worth it.
1) Trade out of need, not boredom or some crazy idea you dreamt up. When you look at your team and truly need steals or some homers, time to make a trade. You can burn yourself by trading just to make a trade (trust me, I do it way too often
I think trading is the most fun part of being in a league. I think I make a new trade offer everyday, haha. It took a month and half of making trade offers to one manager but I finally got Pujols two days ago. It takes awhile sometime but planting seeds/filling other teams needs/ not over valuing your players is a good approach!
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by abence22 » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:38 am 
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