When focused on winning a championship in re-draft leagues, prospects are more of a secondary thought. That does not mean you should be complacent and lose track of what is happening in the Minor Leagues, but the majority of your focus needs to be on proven Major League players when you are playing to win. We should consider making plenty of upside picks in drafts, but often prospects taken early in re-draft leagues end up failing to live up to their draft position.
Historically I have always taken the approach of being ultra-aggressive adding prospects off the free agents during the season that I believe are on the verge of being promoted and could be an upgrade for me. Often, I will stash players with really high upside a couple of weeks before the buzz starts. Once the fantasy season begins, I use my knowledge of the prospect world to make those moves, but really the majority of your focus needs to be on the day-to-day management of your team, and that will not involve prospects much.
Spending your time focused on the Minor Leagues from a dynasty point of view can change the way you look at players. If you are in the constant search of the next superstar in the minor leagues, it will not be someone that everyone has heard of already. If you wanted someone like Marco Luciano or Julio Rodriguez, ideally, you added them as a speculative pick a couple of years ago.
What I would like to discuss in this article is how to use trading to your advantage when it comes to prospects. With so many people seeing these rookies about to break in, there is a lot of hype surrounding some players. What are some of the ways that we can use this to our advantage?
Also, I would like to discuss when and how to trade for prospects and trade them away. A lot of us are hoping these players emerge and help us win right now. But what if you could move them for players with a proven track record and take some of the risks out? You may even be able to add multiple pieces that are not valued highly but fill the needs you imagined the rookie filling if he worked out.
BUY LOW, SELL HIGH
It seems simple enough, but some managers seem to lose track of this once the player they have been waiting for is on the verge of debuting. It is human nature to be excited about your shiny new toy, especially if you have been patiently waiting and building up excitement. But as mentioned previously, it is not a guarantee the young prospect is going to give you what you hope. There are countless examples where I drafted an unproven player who developed into a notable player. Then I traded him when the buzz surrounding him was at its peak. In some cases, you can get that same player back when they are struggling early in their career. It takes time for a lot of young players to adjust and get their footing in the Major Leagues.
HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY
It becomes imperative over time for you to be able to accurately assess where your team stands relative to the rest of the league. There are countless examples of managers going for the title longer than they should. In other cases, giving up or being inactive when most managers would be putting all their resources into improving. It is essential to be honest with yourself about how far away you may be from having the talent needed to compete with the top teams in your league. That does not mean you should be discouraged if the current gap seems insurmountable. The honesty should also extend to your trade negotiations. Your trade partners are going to dry up quickly if you develop a reputation as someone who uses deception for personal gain.
COMMUNICATION
The managers who spend time talking with other league members privately, posting messages in the league chatroom, and engaging with the league often have more success making trades. There is a thin line between being an active participant and being viewed as obnoxious. Be respectful to people. Learn how each person likes communicating and make an effort to meet them on their level. I have found people prefer trading with other managers that they respect. Do not be over-bearing, but generally, the managers who are the most engaged with the whole process seem to get the best results. Do not leave people hanging when they send you a trade offer, e-mail, or text message. Treat others how you would like to be treated.
SEE THINGS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE
It can be difficult for some to put themselves in other’s shoes, but I have found that to be a valuable tool for trading in fantasy baseball. Before you make someone an offer, look at their roster and try to figure out what they might need. Maybe they have a hole at shortstop, or they could use some saves. If you are not sure, ask them what they think about their team. Sometimes you will find that you do not view things the same, and that can lead to trade opportunities as well. There are countless times I have seen trade negotiations fall apart because one of the managers is only thinking about their team.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WIN EVERY TRADE
You do not want to make a habit of clearly losing every trade you make, but winning every deal should not be your main priority. I have overpaid on various occasions for several different reasons. Sometimes it was caused by two or more managers bidding on a player. Other times it was to get a deal over the line. Other times so I did not get a reputation for being a slime ball. I like to be flexible when it comes to trading. Ideally, I have a good relationship with everyone, and they will seek me out when they are considering deals because they know I am fair.
KEEP YOUR FAVORITE PROSPECT
For example, your league allows you to roster ten prospects. When I have determined that I am one of the best teams in the league, I am willing to trade every prospect on my roster. The one exception to this rule is if I genuinely believe the player I have is going to be special. Most of us like the prospects we roster, or we would not have them. But you must be able to project which of them are on a different level. I will usually post a message to the league saying any of my prospects are available, besides my top guy. Everyone is technically available, but you should be amazed by the value you receive back to make the deal. More often than not, that will keep your prized jewel safe. Even if you trade away all your other future assets, you still have that one gem that you can insert into your lineup in the future.
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