Another Draft Question

[ESDricky]

Some players are eliminated from the draft because of there splits? First off, I have never liked that idea and restrictions on PA from the left or right side pretty much evens that out plus having to get 60 percent of your PAs. But, I know that rule is not going to change.

But why eliminate these players who qualified with enough PAs to be in the draft if, they hadn't performed so greatly from one side of the plate as opposed to the other? Why not allow teams to draft these players and keep them on the roster for next season? Teams are allowed to protect injured players aren't they? Why not be able to draft and protect XRs and XLs?

[czar]

Ricky, this is a fair question. I would like to hear more input from other managers about it.

In brief, we remove the XLs (not the XRs) from the database because the XLs often have derived their L-R splits from a much smaller sample than everyday players. A manager could stockpile several XLs and parlay them into super-platoons at one or two positions. Eliminating the XLs dramatically helps our league's left-handed pitchers. Our season numbers show that.

It would be an administrative problem to allow people to draft, and then not play, XL players.

If the XL players are, indeed, destined to be good players, they will show up in the regular database eventually -- usually in the following season.

The XR players remain eligible to be drafted.

[ESDricky]

If someone drafts one of the those players then they move to the squads protected list if they want them too. After the draft eliminate those players XLs who were drafted or not drafted from the database. That way they never sneak into the a roster or lineup.

Some of these players are already decent players with more than 200 at bats. I really think they should be included. I say this as an owner of a team that by the current draft rules is never going to fall near the top of the draft order, at least not the top 8.

Truthfully, what could it hurt?