Proper Etiquette – Know Your Rivals

On Tuesday, I wrote about a trade offer a buddy of mine received in a dynasty league. He was offered Nolan Arenado and Dallas Keuchel for Andrew Benintendi, Miguel Sano, Rafael Devers, Josh Bell, and a 2018 draft pick. The comments devolved into a discussion of trade negotiation etiquette. Gross, right?

To be clear, I’m a believer in the old adage “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” At least as it applies to getting what you want from other people. If you ever happen to have a fly infestation in your house or apartment, I highly recommend putting a funnel over a cup of vinegar. You will catch ALL of the flies. You could smear a thick layer of honey over an entire counter and not catch one fly. Whoever made up that saying didn’t know anything about flies.

Anyway, back to fantasy baseball. Part of my Tuesday post was a recommended counteroffer. To some, my suggestion of Benintendi or Sano plus Bell and a 2018 draft pick for Arenado was a lowball offer. Others thought it was reasonable if a little light. I maintain that the original ask for Arenado should return at least Mike Trout.

The easy advice when conducting trade negotiations is to be thoughtful and courteous. Consider what your rival needs, and offer actual value without hours of back and forth. However, the reality is that all owners are different. I can use my 20 team dynasty league as an example.

Eno Sarris hates dickering over player valuations. If I feel the need to counter one of his offers, it often signals the end of negotiations. If I want to make a trade with him, the key to open with my best offer. For that reason, we usually only match up when there’s a compelling reason to work together. Last summer, Chad and I needed to convert injured A.J. Pollock into OBP and run production. So we swapped Pollock and parts for Miguel Cabrera and parts. We hammered it together quickly after I assured him in person that we’d go light on the haggling.

Another owner, Tom Trudeau, runs a team named Trade Spam. True to form, he hammers everybody with constant trade offers. Most of you have one of these guys in your league, although Tom is one of the most extreme examples with whom I’ve played. The first offer Tom sends is usually a pile of slop for a great player. If you patiently say “no” for the next several months, he’ll eventually work his way up to a fair proposal. Chad and I have sent Tom dozens of salty messages about his proposals. As far as I know, he never takes offense.

Chad and I have our own preferred cadence. We find it easiest if both parties identify likes and dislikes before any serious proposals are exchanged. It’s not the most efficient way to trade, but it does help us to avoid leaving perceived value on the table. Presumably, that works both ways. These discussions also help avoid so-called insulting offers which often result from not knowing who your trade partner values.

For example, earlier in the offseason, one owner was offering Edwin Encarnacion for a younger first baseman with power. So we suggested our Tommy Joseph. I still maintain that, with the possible exception of Greg Bird, no player better matches that ask. The other guy immediately flagged it as an insulting offer. Perhaps we could have avoided the insult by following our usual protocol.

One owner put Trout on the block. If there was ever a time for exchanging a list of likes and dislikes, it’s when targeting the number one asset in baseball. His owner outright refused to give any feedback. He simply advised us to make our best offer. The challenging part was that we had many best offers – it all depended on which players he liked. From his perspective, it makes sense to put off having a conversation. He was trying to bait an overpay and didn’t want to sink too much time while negotiating with 10 or 15 other teams.

To this point, I’ve described trade behavior for five of 20 teams in one dynasty league. The others have their quirks too. And so we’re left with an obvious conclusion – a one-size-fits-all approach to trade negotiations is not ideal.

My advice is the nurture the approach with which you’re most comfortable. Then, when you know your technique differs wildly from your potential trade partner, try to compromise.

On the subject of low ball offers, they make for tricky subject matter. Recall the trade offer from the intro – Arenado and Keuchel for Benintendi, Sano, Devers, Bell, and a pick. And my suggested counter – Benintendi OR Sano, Bell, and the pick. That counteroffer may permanently end negotiations. It almost certainly will temporarily short circuit talks. You may eventually get what you want at a fairer price, but you probably won’t.

If you really want Arenado and aren’t put off by the initial offer, then a better option is to upgrade Keuchel to an actual dynasty asset or ask for a third player. To me, all those young assets for Arenado and a throw-in is an unacceptable cost. You’re free to disagree and move forward with the trade.