Open Comment Thread to Discuss New Rules Proposals

If you're not a league member, I have no idea why you're reading this. For now, though, we're reprinting Scot's and Angelo's emails from earlier today regarding proposed rule changes. Let's have discussion in the comments section.

Scot:

As for me, I've proposed that we remove the weighting from the lottery (for the 2011 draft) and that we change how the eligibility for prospects are enforced.

For the lottery, I want to remove some of the temptation to tank once your team is out of the running. If the owners who place 4 - 12 all have the same shot at the first round pick, then finishing in last isn't as tempting. Of course, you still guarantee your team the 1st or 2nd round pick, but it's a step in the right direction. Angelo's option is also good as it goes further and distributes the first 9 picks all by lottery so you have no idea what pick you'll end up with. Angelo, is the lottery in your proposal weighted still?

For the prospects, I'm trying to remove the manual tracking that goes on during the season to watch whether a prospect exceeds the games (or IP) limits. Under my proposal, you would check those limits twice: after the draft when you add newly drafted players to your prospect slots and when keepers are announced and you declare which players you are keeping in prospect slots. During the season, if a player exceeds the limits, nothing happens. You can keep him reserved the whole season with no consequence. Once keepers are announced, he won't qualify anymore so you will have to spend a real slot to keep him at that time. I realize this takes away some of the "simulation" aspect of the prospects as a regular major leaguer can sit in a prospect slot all season (like Andrus probably would have done this past season if the game limit had not been enforced), but I think it's a worthwhile loss to get rid of the manual tracking involved.

Angelo:

A brief explanation on my rule changes/proposals:

• In my proposal for the lottery, it's not weighted. So basically, you have no idea if you'll have pick 1-9 until February. My idea has less to do with an anti-tanking provision than to give some relief to teams that routinely finish in 4th - 7th, which as was discussed during the year is no-man's land.
  
• My suggestion for the prospect list allows teams to accumulate prospects during the year, which I think would help rebuilding teams. However, you still can only keep two prospects; I don't think the prospect list should become an entire AA roster for a team.
• I've suggested changing the pitching slots every year, and won't rehash that argument.
• My suggestion for expanding the bench and/or DL is also to help crappy teams take more flyers on guys at the end of the year and to balance the fact that since steroid use is down, injuries are up. I am a Met fan, remember.
• Last, my proposal for Net Steals is to punish guys who steal a lot of bases with minimal efficiency. (And I'm looking at....you, Chone Figgins.) I was also going to throw the idea of changing "saves" to Net Saves to punish the Brian Fuentes of the world, but that seemed a bridge too far.