Ottoneu Offseason: Maintain A Full Roster

The ottoneu offseason is great simply because it’s an actual offseason. All other popular fantasy platforms fall into a winter coma unless the commissioner moves the league to a spreadsheet. While other leagues are snoozing, ottoneu arbitration season is over and trade season has just begun. Today’s lesson isn’t about the trade market, it’s an exhortation to avoid an ottoneu faux pas.

Every year, I see people making cuts in October and November when there is no penalty to exceeding payroll or roster size. As of tomorrow, my roster will have about $440 and 44 players. And I don’t plan to cut anybody.

With the conclusion of arbitration, FanGraphs Staff Two saw about 25 players cut by three clubs (one owner cut just one guy, Josh Willingham). My question: why? I can only assume some owners are compelled to tidy their rosters just as they keep their personal spaces neat and orderly. There’s nothing to gain with roster tidiness. There might be something to lose.

Perhaps it seems like I’m making a fuss over nothing. Did anybody want a shot at a $28 Joe Mauer? No, probably not. Only one player I considered a sure-fire keeper was cut. Put another way, somebody cut a player I would have kept! It’s not like I would have traded Paul Goldschmidt for the player, but I would have offered a choice of cheap role players. Perhaps the owner in question would have liked one of them.

There were other players in the bundle who could be viewed as keepable to the right owner. Am I interested in a $40 Jason Heyward? Nope, but I can picture another owner swapping a tidbit for the opportunity to think it over. I understand some owners don’t want to spend time negotiating a trade for a “tidbit,” but for me, that defeats the purpose of the ottoneu offseason. Overall, about half of the players cut were within $5 of the upper limit on my projected valuation. That’s close enough to at least ask around before clicking “cut.”

So what should you do if you find yourself eager to cut a player. First, ask yourself if there is any scenario where the player can be kept. For example, I have a $49 Dustin Pedroia. Nobody is giving me anything keepable for him; I could cut him today without regret. If you decide a player might be viewed favorably by another owner, it doesn’t hurt to ask. While using the message board gives leverage to your rivals, we’re talking about players you planned to cut. Even if they are an asset for another owner, they’ll probably qualify as low value.

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Looking for an ottoneu team? Ottoneu allows commissioners to list abandoned teams as available. You can view the full list of claimable teams here. Below, I’ve highlighted a few that jumped out.

League: Hall of Fame
Team: The Rite of George Springer

This is a well-built team with plenty of surplus value, prospects, and a strong pitching staff. Position players are a current weakness with the club. The league itself is competitive with a few recognizable owners like Montezuma’s Revenge.

League: GUDASS VORP
Team: Punch Drunk

The team has a number of affordable, high quality position players. Overall depth isn’t great, but you’ll have plenty of money to address problems in the draft. The league uses SABR points, which differs slightly from the oft-discussed FanGraphs points style. Judging from the message board, there may be some unrest among the owners. You’ll want to learn more before committing.

League: Black Dog Baseball
Team: The Freak Show

This league appears poised for some owner turnover, but the core group appears active. The roster in question has a star, some affordable mid-tier guys, and some low cost contributors. It’s not a dream boat, but it’ll float.

Advice when claiming a team: You still have to pay the entrance fee, so make sure the league is active before claiming a team. Generally, a league with three or more available rosters is a red flag, although you can examine the league history to see if the turnover is a one-time thing.