Post by Nationals GM (Preston - Old) on Aug 19, 2009 14:16:28 GMT -8
revised March 2023 change to 5 rounds & international clarification
A five round (plus possible supplemental round) annual draft of rookies, minor leaguers, and international free agents will be held every season. The Commissioner's Office will determine the date and time the draft will start. The draft order will be based on the inverse of the standings from the previous season, with the following exceptions:
In the first round:
The 5 teams with the worst record will be entered into a lottery to determine the order of the first five picks.
The teams involved in the 2nd round of the playoffs, ALCS, NLCS, and world series will be placed at the end of the draft (according to finish).
If any division winner did not reach the 2nd round of the playoffs, they will be placed at the end of the draft immediately before the 2nd round playoff teams.
The second round, third round, and subsequent rounds:
These rounds are organized by record, with the league's final four teams remaining in the final four positions, runner-up second to last, and winner last.
The top five in second and third round ordered based on last year's records, with tiebreakers given to teams who picked at a worse position in the first round. Likewise, other tiebreakers from first round are flipped for the second and subsequent rounds (unless involved in new second round tiebreaker). Tiebreakers from second round were flipped for third round and subsequent rounds.
This will not be a snake ordered draft. Teams will have 6 hours to make their selections, with a timer "freeze period" from 9pm to 6 am pacific time (midnight to 9am eastern). If you're worried about making your selection on time, you may send a priority list of players to someone else if you're not currently on the clock. If you do not pick in the time allotted, the next team starts on the clock. A team that is "skipped" remains on the clock and may make their pick at any time. Prior to the 4th round, if a team is passed over and three subsequent selections are made, the team's selection will be auto-picked based on real life draft results. The fourth and fifth rounds will have no auto-picks and teams may choose to pass instead of making picks
Any team that signs an RFA away from another team will forfeit a second round pick. In the case where a team signs the maximum of two RFAs, that team will forfeit both a second round and a third round pick.
Supplemental Round
After the first round and before the second round, the supplemental round of draft picks will take place (if required).
All teams that declined to match an offer to a Restricted free agent will get a pick in the supplemental round.
The order of picks will be based on the contracts that the RFA players signed. The first pick to the highest AAS. If AAS are tied, then the team with the earlier pick in the first round will pick first.
Player Eligibility
The following players are eligible for the draft:
All players drafted in the latest real life MLB rule 4 draft.
Any player that was not signed to a real life MLB organization the year prior that is found to be less than 27 years of age on the day they are signed by a real life MLB club; unless the player had a previous qualifying season.
Any other free agents who are signed to a real MLB club and have yet to have a prospect qualifying season.
The Following players are in-eligible for the draft:
Any free agents who have had a qualifying season.
Any player that was not signed to a real life MLB organization the year prior that is found to be 27 years of age or more on the day they are signed by an MLB club.
Contracts
All of these player's will be paid according to their real life salaries. Other than International players, these will likely be at the minimum. However, we will still use Cot's as a reference for real life salaries.
Our league minimum will be used if Cot's doesn't list a salary or the players real life salary is less than our minimum. For more info on salaries see 52-Man roster.
Annual Player Draft
A five round (plus possible supplemental round) annual draft of rookies, minor leaguers, and international free agents will be held every season. The Commissioner's Office will determine the date and time the draft will start. The draft order will be based on the inverse of the standings from the previous season, with the following exceptions:
In the first round:
The 5 teams with the worst record will be entered into a lottery to determine the order of the first five picks.
The teams involved in the 2nd round of the playoffs, ALCS, NLCS, and world series will be placed at the end of the draft (according to finish).
If any division winner did not reach the 2nd round of the playoffs, they will be placed at the end of the draft immediately before the 2nd round playoff teams.
The second round, third round, and subsequent rounds:
These rounds are organized by record, with the league's final four teams remaining in the final four positions, runner-up second to last, and winner last.
The top five in second and third round ordered based on last year's records, with tiebreakers given to teams who picked at a worse position in the first round. Likewise, other tiebreakers from first round are flipped for the second and subsequent rounds (unless involved in new second round tiebreaker). Tiebreakers from second round were flipped for third round and subsequent rounds.
This will not be a snake ordered draft. Teams will have 6 hours to make their selections, with a timer "freeze period" from 9pm to 6 am pacific time (midnight to 9am eastern). If you're worried about making your selection on time, you may send a priority list of players to someone else if you're not currently on the clock. If you do not pick in the time allotted, the next team starts on the clock. A team that is "skipped" remains on the clock and may make their pick at any time. Prior to the 4th round, if a team is passed over and three subsequent selections are made, the team's selection will be auto-picked based on real life draft results. The fourth and fifth rounds will have no auto-picks and teams may choose to pass instead of making picks
Any team that signs an RFA away from another team will forfeit a second round pick. In the case where a team signs the maximum of two RFAs, that team will forfeit both a second round and a third round pick.
Supplemental Round
After the first round and before the second round, the supplemental round of draft picks will take place (if required).
All teams that declined to match an offer to a Restricted free agent will get a pick in the supplemental round.
The order of picks will be based on the contracts that the RFA players signed. The first pick to the highest AAS. If AAS are tied, then the team with the earlier pick in the first round will pick first.
Player Eligibility
The following players are eligible for the draft:
All players drafted in the latest real life MLB rule 4 draft.
Any player that was not signed to a real life MLB organization the year prior that is found to be less than 27 years of age on the day they are signed by a real life MLB club; unless the player had a previous qualifying season.
Any other free agents who are signed to a real MLB club and have yet to have a prospect qualifying season.
The Following players are in-eligible for the draft:
Any free agents who have had a qualifying season.
Any player that was not signed to a real life MLB organization the year prior that is found to be 27 years of age or more on the day they are signed by an MLB club.
Contracts
All of these player's will be paid according to their real life salaries. Other than International players, these will likely be at the minimum. However, we will still use Cot's as a reference for real life salaries.
Our league minimum will be used if Cot's doesn't list a salary or the players real life salary is less than our minimum. For more info on salaries see 52-Man roster.
Draft picks cannot be traded under any circumstances; however, they can be moved based on restricted free agent signings. See Restricted Free Agents in the official rules for more details.
Players chosen in the annual league draft are ineligible to be traded until June of that year.