2022 SBNation Off-season Sim

Max Rieper at Royals Review has announced that he will be once again helming his annual SBNation Off-season Sim for the 2022 offseason. It is a simulated offseason where over a three day period, all thirty GM roles are filled by writers, readers, and/or teams of fans of the SBNation baseball blogs. Last year, I filled the role for Bluebird Banter. This year, I’m happy to pass the role on to anyone who is interested in trying their shot.

Under the rules of the simulation, over 3 days, each GM is responsible for managing their offseason: signing free agents, reviewing opinions, non-tenders, and trades with other teams. This year, the sim will start on November 6th.

Last year’s specific rules are as follows, although Max usually polls the participants for possible rule changes:

• We rewind to the end of the regular season. The assumption is your GM has resigned and been replaced. The new GM is free to set their own organizational philosophy.
• We’re not concerned with the 40-man roster.
• GMs will not have a specific budget but will receive notes from the owners’ outlining limits.
• Players with no-trade clauses cannot be traded (this includes players with 10-5 rights). Players with limited no-trade clauses can be traded.
• Minor leaguers can be traded but must be specified. No Players to be Named Later. Cash may be dealt, but the amount must be specified.
• You are free to frontload or backload contracts, although player preferences are for contracts not to be backloaded. Anything ridiculous will not be accepted. You can offer player, club, mutual, and vesting options.
• Top offer will typically be taken, although there may be exceptions if a player has a preference on where he wants to play (big market over small market; older vet may want to play for a “winner.”)
• I am not going to negotiate long-term deals for players that are not free agents.

Before the simulation, Max will provide you with an Excel form which lists your existing payroll including arbitration raises and a list of free agents leaving your club as well as any players with existing options. He will also provide you with notes from ownership which will help determine what you can spend and what their priorities are. You will need to have access to Slack which is the primary hub for discussion and email for transactions.

If you’re interested, please drop a post with a contact email and a line or two about what your offseason strategy will be. If we have more than one volunteer, we’ll assign it randomly. If no one is interested, I’ll represent us again, but feel free to chime in on what you think our offseason strategy should be in the sim. I’d like to get a name and email to Max by Friday if possible.