Paramount Baseball League Governance
Mar 2, 2015 9:38:21 GMT -5
Tim_KCRoyalsGM and BlueJaysGM_Fin like this
Post by Derek _ Red Sox on Mar 2, 2015 9:38:21 GMT -5
updated: March 2, 2015
The Commissioner will be responsible for the management and daily operation of the league. Among those responsibilities: Simulating games in a timely manner, maintaining the associated league files and being involved in all GM discussions.
He will respond to questions about the league and facilitate the recruitment and development of new members.
The Commissioner will act in the best interest of the league at all times, will be the deciding voice in any disputes and also will have the power to assess fines and remove members as required.
1. Participation
Individual GM’s are the lifeblood of the league and the very reason for its existence. GM’s are encouraged to make suggestions and voice concerns. Paramount Baseball League welcomes new ideas and fresh perspectives to make the league more enjoyable for everyone. GM’ will:
a. Own a copy of the OOTP version currently adopted by PBL
b. Stay active on the league forum
c. Export for each SIM or leave a message in the forum notifying the league of their planned absence
d. Promptly respond to communication by others
e. Feel free to make suggestions and voice concerns
2. Dismissal
The Commissioner may at his discretion, reprimand, place on probation, fine, or dismiss any owner who becomes detrimental to the good of the League. The infractions that will draw the attention of the commissioner include, but are not limited to:
a. No longer actively exporting
b. No longer in communication with the commissioner
c. Actions between GM’s that are detrimental to the league
3. Procedure for Missing (Consecutive) Exports
When a GM is going to be absent for any period of time (vacation, travel, etc.), they are asked to please post a message in the appropriate forum thread.
4. Expected Levels of Professionalism
Each GM is expected to behave in a civil manner. Derogatory remarks, or any kind, toward another GM or the Commissioner will not be tolerated. While “Trash Talk” is encouraged, the expectation is that it’s done in a fun manner.
5. Procedures for League Issues
If an issue arises between two GM’s, that cannot be solved privately, please inform the Commissioner. He will mediate any and all disputes. Do NOT fan the flames in the forum.
6. Disciplinary Action
When appropriate warnings by the Commissioner have been exhausted, offending GM’s can expect one or more of the following actions:
a. Fines (in-game)
b. Fan Interest Point Deductions
c. Outright dismissal from the league
Regular season SIMs will be conducted as often as possible. Each SIM will be scheduled with a dated forum post notification as will any days to be skipped in the same forum thread.
a. Exports times will generally be 8pm. The time will be noted in each SIM post. Please make sure you export prior to this time to ensure that the Commissioner will use your most recent team file.
b. Simulations will be for a period of seven in-game days during the regular season.
c. Playoff schedules will be determined once the playoffs arrive, as will the schedule for the off-season.
d. The Wild Card and Divisional playoff rounds will be done in one SIM while the Championship Series and World Series will be divided into two SIMs.
e. Spring Training simulations will be comprised of two simulations splitting the Spring Training schedule in half.
f. The offseason scheduling will be posted at a later date and is subject to change at any time.
Any financial rules not noted here will be deemed to have been default when league was created. Custom financial rules include:
a. Average attendance is 30,455
b. Average ticket price is $22.00 (Team ticket prices can NOT exceed $40)
c. Visiting team gate share is 20%
d. The financial system is enabled with minimum service for free agency set to 6 years
e. Free agents from other leagues are allowed to enter the PBL and free agents from the PBL are allowed to leave the league
f. There will be draft pick compensation for lost free agents
g. 3 years of service time are required prior to arbitration
h. Minimum service time for minor leagues is 6 years
i. Average media contract is $30,000,000 league default
j. Media contract is not fixed, it is based on team market size as default option
k. Owners will decide the teams budget
l. There is a luxury tax for revenue sharing
m. Soft cap (% of average payroll) is 120 as default
n. Cash maximum is $10,000,000
Salary Floor
There will be a minimum Team salary “floor” imposed, outside the in-game rules.
a. Every team must meet a certain team payroll amount.
i. Teams with a budget of less than 100m must have a payroll of at least 40% of their budget.
ii. Teams with a budget of 100m-150m must have a payroll of at least 45% of their budget.
iii. Teams with a budget of more than 150m must have a payroll of at least 50% of their budget.
b. Failure to meet the minimum payroll will result in team penalty, at the discretion of the Commissioner, which could include loss of Draft picks, a decrease in Fan Interest and/or Financial penalty.
Contract Extensions
The PBL has a unique mechanism with which to conduct contract extensions. The league employs a “Player Agent” named Isaac Zevin. Zevin’s role is to maintain contract integrity and to make sure all extension offers are deemed acceptable and to protect the in-game AI from being taken advantage of by any GM.
a. The role of Isaac Zevin will be played by the Commissioner.
b. A GM can gauge a player’s willingness to extend in the usual manner in-game BUT the actual extension offer will occur outside the game and will be submitted in a forum PM to Isaac Zevin.
c. If the player is not willing to extend in-game and instead wishes to test free agency, then obviously no extension can happen.
d. If the player is receptive to an extension in-game then the GM can use the player’s in-game expectation to build an offer.
e. The offer will be submitted to Zevin and Zevin will either:
i. Accept the offer.
ii. Counter the offer until the GM agrees or decides to pass on the extension.
f. Once the GM and Player Agent Zevin agree to an extension
i. The extension will be entered by the GM in-game and submitted with the next export
ii. The Commissioner will obviously confirm the extension before the next SIM.
g. The GM is then asked to report the Contract Extension with a post in the forum thread so all of the other GM’s are aware.
h. If you pass an extension in game without the consent of Zevin then you are subject to a $5m fine added to your player expense for current year and a loss of your 1st round pick. Second offense, you will be considered for dismissal from the PBL.
Contract Extensions Eligibility
Any player that has 2 arbitration hearings completed prior to free-agency along with 4 years+ or 5 years+ of ML service (Arbitration results must be displayed on the BNN player page for all to see) is eligible for PBL contract extensions. Any player with one or less Arbitration hearings is not eligible for a contract extension.
There are many factors that go into deciding how much per season the player will be paid, how many years the extension will cover and what the final AAV each eligible player will sign for. This will be negotiated with the GM of the team.
A method will be followed by Zevin and the stable of high-quality BHSC agents to determine market value and will include all/some of the following factors below. This method will be known as the Player Comp.
Player Comp
a. Review pitchers/hitters in the PBL to compare them using all/some of the following parameters:
1. Player Statistics including the previous season and their career.
2. Player Ratings.
3. Player Salaries (this will include previous Arbitration salaries awarded, previous Extension Salaries negotiated and Free Agent contracts negotiated.
4. Player age and years of service will be factored into the extension decision, and will not be limited to the player age/experience comparables only.
5. Personality ratings (Greed, loyalty, desire to play for a winner) of each individual player can also factor into the contract extension decision.
b. 10 year contracts will be considered for elite talent only. However, each case will be individually reviewed per player. The use of OSA 'top player' list of 20 hitters and 20 pitchers will help guide decisions on who could/should/might receive a 10 year contract.
c. Consideration will be given for front-load/back-load contracts; however, franchise needs/tenure of GM may play a part in this decision as well. Each case will be examined individually by Zevin's office.
d. Any contract extension that has a yearly value over $10M, the following front-load/back-load rules will apply:
i. No yearly value (In any year of the negotiation) can be more than double any other yearly value throughout the lifetime of the contract.
Free Agent Signings
Once the free agency window opens then players can be signed in the usual way in-game.
a. Free agent compensation is turned on – Please note that signing “COMP ELLIGIBLE” players will result in the loss of a draft pick.
Incentive Clauses
GM’s may offer incentive clauses in contracts, as noted in-game, for players reaching specific milestones (at-bats, innings pitched) and also for MVP and Cy Young awards, etc.
a. The TOTAL value of ALL incentives must not exceed 25% of the lowest annual contract offered to the player.
b. Example 1 – If a player is offered a one-year $1,000,000 dollar contract then incentives cannot total more than $250,000
c. Example 2 – If a player is offered a three-year contract of $8,000,000, $9,000,000 and $10,000,000 dollars then the incentives cannot total more than $2,000,000 (25% of the lowest annual contract value)
d. For both incentives and vesting options, the following rules also apply:
i. No vesting option can be triggered based on the number of At-Bats of a pitcher
ii. Amount of At-Bats must be 550 or less
iii. Innings pitched for Pitchers with Endurance greater than or equal to 5 must be 180 Innings Pitched or lower
iv. Innings pitched for Pitchers with Endurance less than 5 must be 80 Innings Pitched or lower
v. No Cy Young Award bonuses for Pitchers with Endurance less than 5
vi. No deliberately unachievable incentive clauses such at-bats for a pitcher
Team Option Years
Contracts may include team options as set out in-game
a. Any team option year, for a contract of 3 guaranteed years or less, must have a buyout equal to at least 25% of the highest year of the contract, whether that year is an option or guaranteed year.
b. Any team option year, for a contract of 4 guaranteed years or more, must have a buyout equal to at least 50% of the highest year of the contract, whether that year is an option or guaranteed year.
Penalties for illegal contracts
Illegal contracts involving option years will be converted into all years being guaranteed. There will be additional penalties if teams repeatedly violate the rules.
Free Agent Compensation
In OOTP, when a team loses a compensation eligible player (as determined by OOTP - based on real life rules) to free agency and that player is signed by another team compensation will be as follows:
a. The team that originally lost the player to free agency will receive an additional draft pick in the upcoming first-year player draft as compensation for the player signed as a free agent.
b. The pick will occur in a supplemental round between the first and second rounds.
c. Players eligible for free agency at year end must be offered arbitration (referred to as arbitration in-game but similar to a qualifying offer in real life) in order to be eligible for compensation.
Waivers and Release
All waivers and player releases are done in-game.
Waiver & Designated for Assignment
All waivers and DFA’s are done in-game.
a. The waiver period will be 14 days, or a more appropriate length in the off-season.
b. The DFA period will also be 14 days, or a more appropriate length in the off-season.
c. If a player is not removed from waivers before a SIM, the Commissioner reserves the right to make any appropriate roster decisions to remove the player from the list. This may result in player(s) you may not want to be demoted to be sent down to the Minors where possible, or players released.
d. The General rule is
i. If the player to be released is due a buyout of over $3m the Commissioner will find a spot on your roster for him and allow you to make the appropriate moves.
ii. If the player to be released is due a buyout of less than $3m then the player will be released.
e. Players who refuse demotion cannot be repeatedly waived to avoid roster limits.
i. The Commissioner will release them after their second waiver clearance.
Trades
The following rules will apply to all trades
a. Through messaging in the forum, or other means, two GM’s must first negotiate and agree to a trade of players, following the in-game conventions.
b. All trades must first be posted and confirmed in the forum trade thread before it can be processed in-game.
i. One GM will post the trade
ii. The other GM involved will both “quote” and confirm the trade in a subsequent post
iii. GM’s may request a trade be processed PRE-SIM if both GM’s post that desire in their trade confirmation.
iv. Otherwise the trades will be processed POST-SIM.
c. If a player involved in a POST-SIM trade is injured during that SIM then the deal will be declared void until both GM’s restructure their trade.
d. If a player involved in a PRE-SIM trade is injured then normal in-game rules apply.
Trading Draft Picks
Draft picks can only be traded for the upcoming draft.
a. The trading of draft picks can only occur after the World Series and prior to “the pick to be traded” in the upcoming draft.
b. Once “the pick to be traded” is “on the clock” then it can no longer be traded.
Trading Recently Drafted Players
Recently drafted players cannot be traded until after the World Series of the season they were signed.
Including Cash in Trades
The cash value may not exceed the total salary of the player(s) you are trading.
a. Example 1 - If a player makes $400,000 for 1 year, only $400k can be included in the deal.
b. Example 2 - If a player makes $2,000,000 per year over next 2 years then $4 million can be traded.
c. Teams can now agree to pay a portion of a traded players contract over 3 consecutive years
i. The traded cash will begin in the season following the trade.
ii. The payment CAN NOT exceed 50% of its lowest annual earning.
iii. Example: Player X is under contract for 5 more years AFTER this season at a base salary of $13.5 million each season. His current team can agree to trade him to another team and pay them $6.750M for the next three seasons. For the final two seasons, the team trading for Player X would be responsible for full payment of his contract.
iv. If a player has salaries of $10m, $12m and $15m then the team can pay up to 50% on the $10m salary so $5m can be paid for 3 seasons.
v. Teams can offer payments for 1, 2 or 3 season. That is part of the GM negotiations.
d. These cash transactions will be handled by the Commissioner when the trade is processed as miscellaneous future expenses in-game.
Player To Be Name Later (PTBNL)
Trades may include players to be named later
a. The conditions of the PTBNL must be stated as part of the trade in the thread post
b. The PTBNL part of the trade must be completed within 4 SIMS of the deal being made.
Trading of Free Agent signees
Players signed in the off-season as Free Agents cannot be traded until June 15th of the season in which they were signed.
Trade Deadline
The trade deadline is July 31st.
a. After the deadline, and until the end of the season, all traded players must pass through waivers.
Trades with Financial Implications
a. No trade can be made by a GM whose team player payroll budget is in the red unless it is a trade that reduces salary.
b. Teams in the red are not permitted to make salary neutral trades.
Budgets
GM’s are expected to responsibly manage their budgets
a. Teams “Projected Player Budgets” are expected to be in the black, as seen on the Front Office page.
b. Teams are expected to be aware of issues that could raise payroll, such as all players on the 40-man roster being awarded major league contracts after spring training, and plan accordingly.
c. Teams are allowed to go into the red during the off-season, so long as they do not also go into the red in the “$ for Free Agents” element of the budget.
d. Teams must not be in the red by Opening Day.
e. Teams in the red at Opening Day or during the season will be subject to sanctions by the Commissioners’ Office.
Arbitration
Arbitration takes place between end of the World Series and when players file for Free Agency.
a. GM’s may offer players arbitration using the in-game functions.
b. Offering arbitration to players is required for potential free agents (more commonly known as a “qualifying offer”) in-game if you hope to receive compensatory draft picks during the next amateur draft should that player sign with another team.
Paramount Baseball is proud to bring an NBA-style Lottery to the worst 10 teams from the previous season.
a. The Lottery will be held along with the releasing of the Draft Pool.
Amateur Draft
The “PBL Draft” will be held each year on June 15th.
a. The teams with the worst 14-records from the previous season will be put into a Lottery system to determine the top 14 Draft order.
b. Teams 15-32 will Draft in order from season before like a standard MLB Draft.
c. The League will use Rookies that are generated by OOTP.
d. The Lottery will determine the draft order for the first 14 selections of the first round only.
e. Rounds 2-30 will be based on record like the MLB Draft.
f. Draft reports will be released 30 days prior to the Draft.
g. The draft consists of 30 rounds and the Player pool will be 35 rounds deep.
i. The Commissioner, in consultation with the GM’s, reserves the right to adjust the number of rounds in the future so the optimum number of players are generated.
The Rule 5 Draft will be held in December each year.
a. Any players noted “#” in-game on the Transactions Screen will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
b. To protect any of these players, GM’s are responsible for adding these players on their 40-man roster.
c. The Rule 5 Draft will be held by list and will run until all teams with room on their 40-man roster have had either the chance to choose or pass on selecting a player.
d. Any player selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on the selecting team's Active (25-man) and Secondary (40-man) rosters for the entire upcoming season or be returned to the original team.
Return Rule V Draft Players
This is accomplished both in-game and outside the game.
a. Release the player in-game as you normally would to return a Rule V Draft player.
b. Please also post the player's name in the Rule 5 Returns thread in the forum.
Injury Settings The Injury setting “Normal”
a. If any changes are to be made, they will be made during the off-season.
b. Any changes will require a GM vote in the forum.
Disabled List
The Disabled List has been changed to 14 days instead of the standard 15-days
a. This change was made so players miss only 2 SIMs.
Coaching/Scouting The Coaching and Scouting mode is disabled.
a. If any changes are to be made, they will be made during the off-season.
b. Any changes will require a GM vote in the forum.
All Star Awards
GM’s will vote annually for PBL All-Stars by position.
a. The vote will take place using the utilities (StatsLab/OOTPu).
b. Home Field advantage in the World Series for the winning All-Star Game league is turned ON.
c. The All-Star Game will be a Live SIM.
d. The previous year’s World Series GM’s will select their league’s All-Star reserves.
e. If one of those GM’s declines, the team with next best record will be asked.
End of Season Awards
Each year there will be a Vote on the following awards:
a. AL & NL Most Valuable Player
b. AL & NL Cy Young
c. AL & NL Rookie of the Year
d. AL & NL General Manager of the Year
e. The vote will take place using the utilities (StatsLab/OOTPu).
f. This vote is compulsory.
Hall of fame
The waiting period is 3 years because this is an online league.
a. Each year GM’s will Vote for Hall of Fame inductees.
b. The vote will take place on the forums and a player must receive 75% of the GM votes.
c. The Hall of Fame parameters are:
i. Minimum hits for batters 2700
ii. Minimum home runs for batters 500
iii. Minimum average for batters .290
iv. Minimum wins for pitchers 250
v. Minimum saves for pitchers 500
vi. Maximum ERA for pitchers 3.95
vii. Minimum wins for ERA above 3.95 remains 200
*** League Governance ***
Commissioner
The Commissioner will be responsible for the management and daily operation of the league. Among those responsibilities: Simulating games in a timely manner, maintaining the associated league files and being involved in all GM discussions.
He will respond to questions about the league and facilitate the recruitment and development of new members.
The Commissioner will act in the best interest of the league at all times, will be the deciding voice in any disputes and also will have the power to assess fines and remove members as required.
General Managers
1. Participation
Individual GM’s are the lifeblood of the league and the very reason for its existence. GM’s are encouraged to make suggestions and voice concerns. Paramount Baseball League welcomes new ideas and fresh perspectives to make the league more enjoyable for everyone. GM’ will:
a. Own a copy of the OOTP version currently adopted by PBL
b. Stay active on the league forum
c. Export for each SIM or leave a message in the forum notifying the league of their planned absence
d. Promptly respond to communication by others
e. Feel free to make suggestions and voice concerns
2. Dismissal
The Commissioner may at his discretion, reprimand, place on probation, fine, or dismiss any owner who becomes detrimental to the good of the League. The infractions that will draw the attention of the commissioner include, but are not limited to:
a. No longer actively exporting
b. No longer in communication with the commissioner
c. Actions between GM’s that are detrimental to the league
3. Procedure for Missing (Consecutive) Exports
When a GM is going to be absent for any period of time (vacation, travel, etc.), they are asked to please post a message in the appropriate forum thread.
4. Expected Levels of Professionalism
Each GM is expected to behave in a civil manner. Derogatory remarks, or any kind, toward another GM or the Commissioner will not be tolerated. While “Trash Talk” is encouraged, the expectation is that it’s done in a fun manner.
5. Procedures for League Issues
If an issue arises between two GM’s, that cannot be solved privately, please inform the Commissioner. He will mediate any and all disputes. Do NOT fan the flames in the forum.
6. Disciplinary Action
When appropriate warnings by the Commissioner have been exhausted, offending GM’s can expect one or more of the following actions:
a. Fines (in-game)
b. Fan Interest Point Deductions
c. Outright dismissal from the league
SIM Schedule
Regular season SIMs will be conducted as often as possible. Each SIM will be scheduled with a dated forum post notification as will any days to be skipped in the same forum thread.
a. Exports times will generally be 8pm. The time will be noted in each SIM post. Please make sure you export prior to this time to ensure that the Commissioner will use your most recent team file.
b. Simulations will be for a period of seven in-game days during the regular season.
c. Playoff schedules will be determined once the playoffs arrive, as will the schedule for the off-season.
d. The Wild Card and Divisional playoff rounds will be done in one SIM while the Championship Series and World Series will be divided into two SIMs.
e. Spring Training simulations will be comprised of two simulations splitting the Spring Training schedule in half.
f. The offseason scheduling will be posted at a later date and is subject to change at any time.
Financial Settings
Any financial rules not noted here will be deemed to have been default when league was created. Custom financial rules include:
a. Average attendance is 30,455
b. Average ticket price is $22.00 (Team ticket prices can NOT exceed $40)
c. Visiting team gate share is 20%
d. The financial system is enabled with minimum service for free agency set to 6 years
e. Free agents from other leagues are allowed to enter the PBL and free agents from the PBL are allowed to leave the league
f. There will be draft pick compensation for lost free agents
g. 3 years of service time are required prior to arbitration
h. Minimum service time for minor leagues is 6 years
i. Average media contract is $30,000,000 league default
j. Media contract is not fixed, it is based on team market size as default option
k. Owners will decide the teams budget
l. There is a luxury tax for revenue sharing
m. Soft cap (% of average payroll) is 120 as default
n. Cash maximum is $10,000,000
Salary Floor
There will be a minimum Team salary “floor” imposed, outside the in-game rules.
a. Every team must meet a certain team payroll amount.
i. Teams with a budget of less than 100m must have a payroll of at least 40% of their budget.
ii. Teams with a budget of 100m-150m must have a payroll of at least 45% of their budget.
iii. Teams with a budget of more than 150m must have a payroll of at least 50% of their budget.
b. Failure to meet the minimum payroll will result in team penalty, at the discretion of the Commissioner, which could include loss of Draft picks, a decrease in Fan Interest and/or Financial penalty.
Transactions
Contract Extensions
The PBL has a unique mechanism with which to conduct contract extensions. The league employs a “Player Agent” named Isaac Zevin. Zevin’s role is to maintain contract integrity and to make sure all extension offers are deemed acceptable and to protect the in-game AI from being taken advantage of by any GM.
a. The role of Isaac Zevin will be played by the Commissioner.
b. A GM can gauge a player’s willingness to extend in the usual manner in-game BUT the actual extension offer will occur outside the game and will be submitted in a forum PM to Isaac Zevin.
c. If the player is not willing to extend in-game and instead wishes to test free agency, then obviously no extension can happen.
d. If the player is receptive to an extension in-game then the GM can use the player’s in-game expectation to build an offer.
e. The offer will be submitted to Zevin and Zevin will either:
i. Accept the offer.
ii. Counter the offer until the GM agrees or decides to pass on the extension.
f. Once the GM and Player Agent Zevin agree to an extension
i. The extension will be entered by the GM in-game and submitted with the next export
ii. The Commissioner will obviously confirm the extension before the next SIM.
g. The GM is then asked to report the Contract Extension with a post in the forum thread so all of the other GM’s are aware.
h. If you pass an extension in game without the consent of Zevin then you are subject to a $5m fine added to your player expense for current year and a loss of your 1st round pick. Second offense, you will be considered for dismissal from the PBL.
Contract Extensions Eligibility
Any player that has 2 arbitration hearings completed prior to free-agency along with 4 years+ or 5 years+ of ML service (Arbitration results must be displayed on the BNN player page for all to see) is eligible for PBL contract extensions. Any player with one or less Arbitration hearings is not eligible for a contract extension.
There are many factors that go into deciding how much per season the player will be paid, how many years the extension will cover and what the final AAV each eligible player will sign for. This will be negotiated with the GM of the team.
A method will be followed by Zevin and the stable of high-quality BHSC agents to determine market value and will include all/some of the following factors below. This method will be known as the Player Comp.
Player Comp
a. Review pitchers/hitters in the PBL to compare them using all/some of the following parameters:
1. Player Statistics including the previous season and their career.
2. Player Ratings.
3. Player Salaries (this will include previous Arbitration salaries awarded, previous Extension Salaries negotiated and Free Agent contracts negotiated.
4. Player age and years of service will be factored into the extension decision, and will not be limited to the player age/experience comparables only.
5. Personality ratings (Greed, loyalty, desire to play for a winner) of each individual player can also factor into the contract extension decision.
b. 10 year contracts will be considered for elite talent only. However, each case will be individually reviewed per player. The use of OSA 'top player' list of 20 hitters and 20 pitchers will help guide decisions on who could/should/might receive a 10 year contract.
c. Consideration will be given for front-load/back-load contracts; however, franchise needs/tenure of GM may play a part in this decision as well. Each case will be examined individually by Zevin's office.
d. Any contract extension that has a yearly value over $10M, the following front-load/back-load rules will apply:
i. No yearly value (In any year of the negotiation) can be more than double any other yearly value throughout the lifetime of the contract.
Free Agent Signings
Once the free agency window opens then players can be signed in the usual way in-game.
a. Free agent compensation is turned on – Please note that signing “COMP ELLIGIBLE” players will result in the loss of a draft pick.
Incentive Clauses
GM’s may offer incentive clauses in contracts, as noted in-game, for players reaching specific milestones (at-bats, innings pitched) and also for MVP and Cy Young awards, etc.
a. The TOTAL value of ALL incentives must not exceed 25% of the lowest annual contract offered to the player.
b. Example 1 – If a player is offered a one-year $1,000,000 dollar contract then incentives cannot total more than $250,000
c. Example 2 – If a player is offered a three-year contract of $8,000,000, $9,000,000 and $10,000,000 dollars then the incentives cannot total more than $2,000,000 (25% of the lowest annual contract value)
d. For both incentives and vesting options, the following rules also apply:
i. No vesting option can be triggered based on the number of At-Bats of a pitcher
ii. Amount of At-Bats must be 550 or less
iii. Innings pitched for Pitchers with Endurance greater than or equal to 5 must be 180 Innings Pitched or lower
iv. Innings pitched for Pitchers with Endurance less than 5 must be 80 Innings Pitched or lower
v. No Cy Young Award bonuses for Pitchers with Endurance less than 5
vi. No deliberately unachievable incentive clauses such at-bats for a pitcher
Team Option Years
Contracts may include team options as set out in-game
a. Any team option year, for a contract of 3 guaranteed years or less, must have a buyout equal to at least 25% of the highest year of the contract, whether that year is an option or guaranteed year.
b. Any team option year, for a contract of 4 guaranteed years or more, must have a buyout equal to at least 50% of the highest year of the contract, whether that year is an option or guaranteed year.
Penalties for illegal contracts
Illegal contracts involving option years will be converted into all years being guaranteed. There will be additional penalties if teams repeatedly violate the rules.
Free Agent Compensation
In OOTP, when a team loses a compensation eligible player (as determined by OOTP - based on real life rules) to free agency and that player is signed by another team compensation will be as follows:
a. The team that originally lost the player to free agency will receive an additional draft pick in the upcoming first-year player draft as compensation for the player signed as a free agent.
b. The pick will occur in a supplemental round between the first and second rounds.
c. Players eligible for free agency at year end must be offered arbitration (referred to as arbitration in-game but similar to a qualifying offer in real life) in order to be eligible for compensation.
Waivers and Release
All waivers and player releases are done in-game.
Waiver & Designated for Assignment
All waivers and DFA’s are done in-game.
a. The waiver period will be 14 days, or a more appropriate length in the off-season.
b. The DFA period will also be 14 days, or a more appropriate length in the off-season.
c. If a player is not removed from waivers before a SIM, the Commissioner reserves the right to make any appropriate roster decisions to remove the player from the list. This may result in player(s) you may not want to be demoted to be sent down to the Minors where possible, or players released.
d. The General rule is
i. If the player to be released is due a buyout of over $3m the Commissioner will find a spot on your roster for him and allow you to make the appropriate moves.
ii. If the player to be released is due a buyout of less than $3m then the player will be released.
e. Players who refuse demotion cannot be repeatedly waived to avoid roster limits.
i. The Commissioner will release them after their second waiver clearance.
Trades
The following rules will apply to all trades
a. Through messaging in the forum, or other means, two GM’s must first negotiate and agree to a trade of players, following the in-game conventions.
b. All trades must first be posted and confirmed in the forum trade thread before it can be processed in-game.
i. One GM will post the trade
ii. The other GM involved will both “quote” and confirm the trade in a subsequent post
iii. GM’s may request a trade be processed PRE-SIM if both GM’s post that desire in their trade confirmation.
iv. Otherwise the trades will be processed POST-SIM.
c. If a player involved in a POST-SIM trade is injured during that SIM then the deal will be declared void until both GM’s restructure their trade.
d. If a player involved in a PRE-SIM trade is injured then normal in-game rules apply.
Trading Draft Picks
Draft picks can only be traded for the upcoming draft.
a. The trading of draft picks can only occur after the World Series and prior to “the pick to be traded” in the upcoming draft.
b. Once “the pick to be traded” is “on the clock” then it can no longer be traded.
Trading Recently Drafted Players
Recently drafted players cannot be traded until after the World Series of the season they were signed.
Including Cash in Trades
The cash value may not exceed the total salary of the player(s) you are trading.
a. Example 1 - If a player makes $400,000 for 1 year, only $400k can be included in the deal.
b. Example 2 - If a player makes $2,000,000 per year over next 2 years then $4 million can be traded.
c. Teams can now agree to pay a portion of a traded players contract over 3 consecutive years
i. The traded cash will begin in the season following the trade.
ii. The payment CAN NOT exceed 50% of its lowest annual earning.
iii. Example: Player X is under contract for 5 more years AFTER this season at a base salary of $13.5 million each season. His current team can agree to trade him to another team and pay them $6.750M for the next three seasons. For the final two seasons, the team trading for Player X would be responsible for full payment of his contract.
iv. If a player has salaries of $10m, $12m and $15m then the team can pay up to 50% on the $10m salary so $5m can be paid for 3 seasons.
v. Teams can offer payments for 1, 2 or 3 season. That is part of the GM negotiations.
d. These cash transactions will be handled by the Commissioner when the trade is processed as miscellaneous future expenses in-game.
Player To Be Name Later (PTBNL)
Trades may include players to be named later
a. The conditions of the PTBNL must be stated as part of the trade in the thread post
b. The PTBNL part of the trade must be completed within 4 SIMS of the deal being made.
Trading of Free Agent signees
Players signed in the off-season as Free Agents cannot be traded until June 15th of the season in which they were signed.
Trade Deadline
The trade deadline is July 31st.
a. After the deadline, and until the end of the season, all traded players must pass through waivers.
Trades with Financial Implications
a. No trade can be made by a GM whose team player payroll budget is in the red unless it is a trade that reduces salary.
b. Teams in the red are not permitted to make salary neutral trades.
Budgets
GM’s are expected to responsibly manage their budgets
a. Teams “Projected Player Budgets” are expected to be in the black, as seen on the Front Office page.
b. Teams are expected to be aware of issues that could raise payroll, such as all players on the 40-man roster being awarded major league contracts after spring training, and plan accordingly.
c. Teams are allowed to go into the red during the off-season, so long as they do not also go into the red in the “$ for Free Agents” element of the budget.
d. Teams must not be in the red by Opening Day.
e. Teams in the red at Opening Day or during the season will be subject to sanctions by the Commissioners’ Office.
Arbitration
Arbitration takes place between end of the World Series and when players file for Free Agency.
a. GM’s may offer players arbitration using the in-game functions.
b. Offering arbitration to players is required for potential free agents (more commonly known as a “qualifying offer”) in-game if you hope to receive compensatory draft picks during the next amateur draft should that player sign with another team.
Amateur Draft
Amateur Draft Lottery
Paramount Baseball is proud to bring an NBA-style Lottery to the worst 10 teams from the previous season.
a. The Lottery will be held along with the releasing of the Draft Pool.
Amateur Draft
The “PBL Draft” will be held each year on June 15th.
a. The teams with the worst 14-records from the previous season will be put into a Lottery system to determine the top 14 Draft order.
b. Teams 15-32 will Draft in order from season before like a standard MLB Draft.
c. The League will use Rookies that are generated by OOTP.
d. The Lottery will determine the draft order for the first 14 selections of the first round only.
e. Rounds 2-30 will be based on record like the MLB Draft.
f. Draft reports will be released 30 days prior to the Draft.
g. The draft consists of 30 rounds and the Player pool will be 35 rounds deep.
i. The Commissioner, in consultation with the GM’s, reserves the right to adjust the number of rounds in the future so the optimum number of players are generated.
Rule-V Draft
The Rule 5 Draft will be held in December each year.
a. Any players noted “#” in-game on the Transactions Screen will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
b. To protect any of these players, GM’s are responsible for adding these players on their 40-man roster.
c. The Rule 5 Draft will be held by list and will run until all teams with room on their 40-man roster have had either the chance to choose or pass on selecting a player.
d. Any player selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on the selecting team's Active (25-man) and Secondary (40-man) rosters for the entire upcoming season or be returned to the original team.
Return Rule V Draft Players
This is accomplished both in-game and outside the game.
a. Release the player in-game as you normally would to return a Rule V Draft player.
b. Please also post the player's name in the Rule 5 Returns thread in the forum.
Injuries / Disabled List
Injury Settings The Injury setting “Normal”
a. If any changes are to be made, they will be made during the off-season.
b. Any changes will require a GM vote in the forum.
Disabled List
The Disabled List has been changed to 14 days instead of the standard 15-days
a. This change was made so players miss only 2 SIMs.
Coaching / Scouting
Coaching/Scouting The Coaching and Scouting mode is disabled.
a. If any changes are to be made, they will be made during the off-season.
b. Any changes will require a GM vote in the forum.
Awards & Accomplishments
All Star Awards
GM’s will vote annually for PBL All-Stars by position.
a. The vote will take place using the utilities (StatsLab/OOTPu).
b. Home Field advantage in the World Series for the winning All-Star Game league is turned ON.
c. The All-Star Game will be a Live SIM.
d. The previous year’s World Series GM’s will select their league’s All-Star reserves.
e. If one of those GM’s declines, the team with next best record will be asked.
End of Season Awards
Each year there will be a Vote on the following awards:
a. AL & NL Most Valuable Player
b. AL & NL Cy Young
c. AL & NL Rookie of the Year
d. AL & NL General Manager of the Year
e. The vote will take place using the utilities (StatsLab/OOTPu).
f. This vote is compulsory.
Hall of fame
The waiting period is 3 years because this is an online league.
a. Each year GM’s will Vote for Hall of Fame inductees.
b. The vote will take place on the forums and a player must receive 75% of the GM votes.
c. The Hall of Fame parameters are:
i. Minimum hits for batters 2700
ii. Minimum home runs for batters 500
iii. Minimum average for batters .290
iv. Minimum wins for pitchers 250
v. Minimum saves for pitchers 500
vi. Maximum ERA for pitchers 3.95
vii. Minimum wins for ERA above 3.95 remains 200