Expansion - sean this time

[mattynokes]

If this happens it needs to be as realistic as possible. Back when I first started getting into Mogul I attempted to create an expansion league for TBD and ARI in 1998. I still have those rules and they worked very well. Here's some things that need to be addressed.

1. Is the interest really there? I'm not not questioning it, it's just a question that needs to really be considered. Sean is right, now it the best time to launch the idea. My concern would if we add expansion and then we find 8 or so seasons down the road that the interest has dwindled. We need to be able to continuously fill 32 GM spots.

2. Do we have a 32-team schedule template? If not we need to make one or try to find one on the SM boards. Without one the schedule will be chaos. We'd have random one-day series, multiple off days in a row, and an extended regular season.

3. Where are the teams going to be located? There's many options. Indianapolis and Portland are two that have not been brought up yet. Here's some Yahoo style logos that I either edited (poorly) myself or incorporated because it simply works easily as-is.


Carolina Skyhawks


Portland Pilots




Las Vegas Aces


Indianapolis Stars

4. And where are they going to be placed at? We must have a 16-16 split. Period. The easiest option is to have both of them placed in the AL. The next idea would be to move a NL team to the AL and split the expansion teams into different leagues. I would personally be against a big shuffle. Maybe one team moving leagues/divisions to make it work geographically, but I also don't think traditions such as rivalries should be messed with.

Here's how I'd run the expansion process...

1. Decide Where Teams Will Be Located

2. Decide Who Will Run The Teams
I don't think it should necessarily be left to an experienced GM here. Running an expansion team from the ground up would be sexy for a new GM.

3. Make 2019 or 2020 The Planned Inaugural Season
Reasoning will come later.

4. Allow The Expansion Teams To Draft Starting 2018
Back when the Rays and D-Backs entered the league they participated in the '96 and '97 drafts. I would assume the reasoning was to allow them to start building up their farm system. Players were loaned to other team's to develop for the expansion teams.

How this would work is the expansion team would need to get an existing team to agree to develop their players. Then run the draft as normal, but allow the expansion teams to "pick" #31 and #32 in each round. Skip entering their picks in the game until after the draft. Then sign them to the developing teams and edit their contract to draft day.

5. Run The Expansion Draft According To Rules Below

1. Any player under 22 will automatically be protected.
2. Teams will list all eligible players in order. Also number the players and please do something to break your top 15 (which will be protected throughout the entire draft) and the remainders.
3. If no protect list is submitted players will be ranked and protected by Scouting Score regardless of age.

Expansion Draft Rules

The draft will be done in three phases. Teams can only have a max of 5 total players selected in the entire draft. Each expansions team will make 10 selections per phase for a total of 30 selections.

Phase 1: 15 protected players (Min), 10 selections by each team, 5 player protect bonus for each player selected

Phase 2: 20 protected players (Min), 10 selections by each team, 3 player protect bonus for each player selected

Phase 3: 25 protected players (Min), 10 selections by each team, 1 player protect bonus for each player selected