Last updated: 3-14-24
Entry Fee & League Structure
- The league entry fee is $85 for 2024.
- The payout will be $500 for first place and $250 for second place, with $100 going toward the Rotowire service.
- This is a rotisserie style league with ten stat categories: OBP, HR, RBI, R, and SB for hitters and QS, ERA, WHIP, K, and (saves + holds) for pitchers.
Team Composition/Position Eligibility
- Each team will have a payroll of $260. You may not exceed this payroll at any time during the season.
- Each team’s active roster will consist of 23 roster spots: 9 pitchers, 2 catchers, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 third baseman, 1 middle infielder, 1 corner infielder, 5 outfielders, and 1 designated hitter. You must have at least 4 starting pitchers and 2 relief pitchers on your roster at all times.
- To be eligible for a position a player must have played at least 20 games at that position the previous season. During the season, once a player plays 10 games at a different position he then qualifies at that position.
- Minor leaguers are eligible at any position at which they played 20 games last year, as well as any position at which they played at least 10 games in the minors this year.
- During the live auction, players who have switched positions and are listed as a starter on their team’s RosterResource depth chart for that new position are eligible at the new position. For example, RosterResource lists Mookie Betts’ as the Dodgers’ shortstop, so he can be used there.
Keeper Rules
- Each team can keep up to 5 players.
- When a player is drafted he is eligible to be kept for 3 years at his auction day salary. After 2 years, you can extend a player’s contract at $4 per year to be added to original contract. Additional years start after year 3.
- If you choose not to extend a player’s contract you will lose that player after year 3.
- If a minor league or injured player is not on a major league roster by August 1st, he cannot be kept the following year.
- A player needs to be on your roster by August 31st – not as an injury or minors replacement – to be eligible to be kept the following year.
Auction Rules
- Aside from keepers, each team will be created via a live auction.
- Each team will take turns bidding on a player, with a minimum bid of $1. Bidding is binding.
- You cannot announce or bid on a player if he cannot fit onto your roster.
- Any player can be bid on, including those who have yet to make their MLB debut.
- After the auction but before the season begins, there will be a blind bidding period with a deadline where injury/minor league pickups are made. After that, you can make traditional add/drops prior to the start of the season, without it counting against your 20 transaction limit.
In-Season Gameplay
- All 23 players are considered active for every game. There are no benches, but you are able to pick up a free replacement for any player who officially goes on the IL or is demoted to the minors. Suspended players or players on bereavement are not eligible for replacement.
- Injury and minors pickups are processed by the commissioner. Use the league message board to state who went on the IL/to the minors and who you’re picking up. These will be reflected on your roster the same day if the game of the pickup has not yet started, otherwise the following day.
- When the original player’s IL stint ends and he returns to the active roster, you have the option of keeping the replacement player by using a transaction and dropping either the returning player or another player — as long as your $260 payroll is maintained and all positions are filled.
- Players returning from the minors or injury must be activated immediately. If need be the commissioner will make the transaction upon becoming aware of the returning player. The exception is if a minor leaguer is called up as the 27th man in a doubleheader. In that case, he does not need to be activated, since he will only be up for one day.
- Trades are allowed as long as rosters and $260 payroll are maintained. Trading minor league players is permitted. If you agree to a trade, post it on the league message board and the commissioner will process it.
- Only the commissioner has veto power over a trade, and he’ll only use it in extreme circumstances. Trades will not be subject to leaguewide vote.
Transactions
- A transaction is defined as permanently dropping a player and picking up a new one. Each team is allowed 20 transactions per season. These are done by posting on the league message board. You’d write something like, “Using Move #3 to drop Corbin Burnes for Rich Hill, $1.”
- Pickups for players placed on the IL or sent to the minors are first-come, first-served and do not count against the 20 limit.
- If an unowned minor leaguer is promoted to the Majors, period of blind bidding commences. This period begins with the day the player is called up and ends at midnight on the following day. Send your bid to Bob Jr. or Tim through the league’s private messaging system and do NOT put the bid amount in the subject line, in the event we want to bid on the player ourselves. Bob and Tim will send such bids to each other.
- Players dropped from rosters work in a similar way, in that there is that same blind bidding period. However, dropped players maintain their salary for a 30-day period, so you cannot bid below that amount. Once the blind bidding period ends on a dropped player, he can be picked up first-come, first-served at his previous salary.
- Players coming off the IL to make their season debut are also subject to the blind bidding process. Bidding is open until midnight of the day following the player’s activation.
- On a dropped player, after the 30-day “keeps his old salary” period ends, on Day 31, there is blind bidding – with no minimum – until noon. After that, it’s first-come, first-served.
- Only active players can be picked up as free agents.
- If a player is dropped while on the IL and is activated within 30-days, the initial bidding process (with the minimum set at his old salary) opens the day he’s activated and ends at midnight the following day.