This article is part of our Mock Auction series.
Mixed League, 5x5 categories, 23-man roster, 20-game requirement to qualify at a position. Each team drafts 14 hitters and nine pitchers. Teams had a $260 budget and had to fill each roster slot with at least a minimum bid of $1.
THE AUCTION
The mock auction was held in late December, using online group chat software. The early auction date produces a number of constraints, the most obvious being that much of the offseason movement of players hadn't been completed. Adrian Beltre had not signed with the Rangers, Zack Greinke wasn't a Brewer, and Matt Garza wasn't a Cub at the time of the auction. Keep these caveats in mind when viewing the results.
THE RESULTS
We had 13 teams in this league, which put a premium on catchers since it was required that each team rostered two, as well as shortstops because of the lack of depth at the position. Various strategies were employed for team construction, which led to an unpredictable market for elite players at most positions. Many of the owners in this auction were aggressive on the early nominations, leading to surprises such as a $49 top bid for Phillies ace Roy Halladay. Hours later, pitching bargains surfaced in Yovani Gallardo ($18), Justin Verlander ($17), Jered Weaver ($11) and Clayton Kershaw ($10).
Sure, everyone loves to own Roy Halladay, but at nearly five-times the cost of Kershaw? This stresses the importance of knowing how much money is left in the auction pool
Mixed League, 5x5 categories, 23-man roster, 20-game requirement to qualify at a position. Each team drafts 14 hitters and nine pitchers. Teams had a $260 budget and had to fill each roster slot with at least a minimum bid of $1.
THE AUCTION
The mock auction was held in late December, using online group chat software. The early auction date produces a number of constraints, the most obvious being that much of the offseason movement of players hadn't been completed. Adrian Beltre had not signed with the Rangers, Zack Greinke wasn't a Brewer, and Matt Garza wasn't a Cub at the time of the auction. Keep these caveats in mind when viewing the results.
THE RESULTS
We had 13 teams in this league, which put a premium on catchers since it was required that each team rostered two, as well as shortstops because of the lack of depth at the position. Various strategies were employed for team construction, which led to an unpredictable market for elite players at most positions. Many of the owners in this auction were aggressive on the early nominations, leading to surprises such as a $49 top bid for Phillies ace Roy Halladay. Hours later, pitching bargains surfaced in Yovani Gallardo ($18), Justin Verlander ($17), Jered Weaver ($11) and Clayton Kershaw ($10).
Sure, everyone loves to own Roy Halladay, but at nearly five-times the cost of Kershaw? This stresses the importance of knowing how much money is left in the auction pool - making the utility of CPA-caliber spreadsheets or the RotoWire Draft Software a must.
It's important to realize that the numbers you see on the rosters below are not absolute. They are the byproduct of a unique system of owners and their respective valuations of numerous players. Further, those valuations are swayed and biased by the events that unfolded over the five hours spent auctioning off the 299 players you see below. Your auction will not replicate what happened in ours, but there's plenty you can learn from these results.
1. Team Construction - In a more shallow mixed format, it's plausible to use the "Stars and Scrubs" method to build your roster. There are plenty of high-upside $1-2 players in the pool to go around and you can use them to complement a nucleus of three-to-five $30-plus players and have just as much success as an owner fixated on spending between $5 and $15 on every spot. Generally speaking, relying heavily on low-cost players for a large number of positions will force sound judgment and action with regards to the waiver-wire. As excited as you might be about the prospects of Brandon Webb returning to form as a $1 player, you have to be ready to cut him if he hasn't regained his velocity by Opening Day.
2. Setting The Market - Some players have very uncertain values heading into the season based on 2010 injuries, disappointment, or simple lack of a proven track record. Huston Street was a potential top-five closer heading into last season. In our auction, he went for $5 - a potential bargain, but more importantly an indicator that his projected value has taken a significant hit because of his health issues last season. Others with uncertain value include - Brian Roberts ($12), Grady Sizemore ($8), Carlos Beltran ($6), Javier Vazquez ($5), James Shields ($3), Josh Beckett ($3), Derrek Lee ($2), and Johan Santana ($1).
3. Position Depth - Starting pitchers really stand out this year as a deep group full of quality talent in the later stages. An excellent rotation could be assembled with a $10-12 ace (Kershaw, Weaver, Hanson) and combination of $1-3 arms such as Brandon Morrow ($3), Colby Lewis ($3), Wandy Rodriguez ($3), Phil Hughes ($3), Jordan Zimmermann ($2), and Gio Gonzalez ($1). While shortstop and catcher have long been trouble spots for those who wait too long, third base has become a position of weakness in the middle tier with Mike Moustakas, Dayan Viciedo and Chase Headley all landing in starting lineups of a 13-team league. Taking these results in the appropriate context should help you determine what strategy you'd like to employ - as well as give you a good idea as to where you can be thrifty and where you should invest on auction day.
The full results are posted below:
