Expansion...

[theasfl]

My leagues on its 22nd day of the 1st season, so I wont have to worry about this until the end of the season or until after next season or maybe even later who knows, but its always good to be prepared...

how do you guys out there handle expansion? Are there any mods out there designed for an expansion draft, and if you add teams in all you have to do is use the edit league structure feature correct?

If you guys have done an expansion draft, how have you gone about doing it?

[sporr]

Here's what we did to expand from 26 to 28 teams:

The Expansion Draft:
- A coin toss will determine which expansion team drafts 1st. Picks will alternate thereafter for 26 rounds.
- Initially, all teams will be allowed to protect 16 contracted players (players with minor league contracts will be exempt).
- Once a player is drafted from a team, that team may protect an additional 7 players. However, if there are less than 7 players remaining to be protected at least one player must be left unprotected.
- Once two players are drafted from a team, that team may protect the rest of their roster.
- Teams may protect less than 16 (and 7) players.
- This will allow each expansion team to have 26 contracted players from the expansion draft.

Free Agent Signings:
- The expansion teams will be able to finish filling up positional needs through signing free agents during the regular FA period.

The Amateur Draft:
- The expansion teams will have the 1st two draft spots in the amateur draft.
- The team that drafted 2nd in the expansion draft will draft 1st in the amateur draft.
- This will provide 10 players for the expansion team minor league systems.


Trading:
- Expansion teams will have full trading privileges after the expansion draft.
- Expansion teams must hold at least 10 draft picks at all times, but may hold more than that.

[theasfl]

anyone else?

[smabie]

La Liga Mexicana used a similar method to the above when we expanded. Part 1, each existing team protected up to 18 players with enough pro experience to not be considered rookies (at least 5 needed to be unprotected), and each expansion team drafted 16 (max of 4 from any one team). Part 2, each existing team protected up to 5 Minor League/rookie players (at least 2 needed to be left available), and each expansion team drafted 4 players of either type (max of 1 from any one team). Each expansion team had to draft 4 pitchers who could qualify as SPs (at least 50 endurance; we use 1-100 ratings), 4 more pitchers of any type, 4 players who were rated as IFs, 2 rated as Cs, and 4 rated as OFs (the remaining 2 players could be of any type). AA & A for expansion teams were autofilled (not AAA). A random order was set for the expansion draft, serpentine. And drafted players' contracts were kept the same. FA period was held afterward (so that expansion teams could bid, to fill remainder of their roster). Expansion teams initial Amateur draft order was after the existing team who didn't make the previous season's playoffs, but before those that made the playoffs, in reverse order of the initial expansion draft. There was a setup of sorts to let existing teams make deals with expansion teams to draft specific players (though it wasn't used, so can't say whether it worked well or not). And while we expanded by 4 teams (2 in each league), there was a provision that if we'd expanded by only 2 team (in the same league), only the existing teams in that same league were eligible for the expansion draft. Existing teams get reimbursed $500K per player taken. There were also provisions for each team's financials, set by the Commissioner prior to expansion.

Primetime Fantasy Baseball League uses a different setup. Only players with contracts are eligible to be drafted, and all teams are available (not just the expanded league). The draft consists of three rounds. First round, each existing team protects a set number (7 in the first two drafts we did, 8 in the current one). Order for the expansion draft is randomly set, then serpentine, and each team picks until one player from each existing team is taken. Second Round, another set number (7 in all three) are protected, and the draft continues from where it left off; again, until one player from each existing team has been taken. Third round, another set number (7 in the first two, 6 in the current one) are protected. Expansion draft continues until up to two players from each existing team are taken (less however many it takes to keep the expansion teams at even numbers of drafted players; the current draft has 3 expansion teams, part of why the odd numbers were used). Minor leagues (all classes) for expansion teams are autofilled. Expansion teams pick last in the amateur draft order, reverse order of the initial expansion draft. In the first two cases, FA was held afterward to letr expansion teams fill; in the third case, a contraction draft of three teams' complete rosters is being held concurrently, since FAA period was already past when the need to expand 3 teams (because of the need to contract 3 teams, as a result of collusion) was discovered, too late to fairly re-do the FA period.

Alternate Professional League Baseball, due in part to the fact that it's set in the 19th century and has smaller rosters, was a bit different. Each existing team protected one player rated at each position, plus 3 (or was it 5?) pitchers. Only players with contracts were eligible to be drafted. Expansion draft order was random, and straight (not serpentine). Each expansion team drafted 12 rounds, with max of 4 players taken from each existing team. Amateur draft, expansion teams drafted at the top of the order, in reverse of how they drafted in the expansion draft.

....

Any questions?