Reflections: Trades Proposals this year

[Gripsnhips]

People's trade proposals seem weak this year. Too many, "Hey let me help you fill this hole in your lineup....all it will take is one of your Top 10 guys and some horrible guy that isn't wrestling". If you want to win this league....it's about the equity in your stable of horses. You need NCAA point scorers to win this league. Period. The trophy goes to the guy who scores the most points at the NCAA tournament. Period. Any strategy employed away from this has you playing for 2nd.

That being said, to get a chance to play, you must make the tournament. You must tally regular season points....or go for broke at conferences. Truth be told, if you are out of the top 7 by the supplemental, you are playing for the latter semifinal strategy. Dart Shark used to employ the "heavy schedule" strategy and that always put him easily into the NCAA tournament.....where he promptly dropped a duece and placed last. In the end, the best teams will have 11 strong wrestlers and 4 chumps. This means that they will have traded away all their fat to bolster their top 11. So I guess (per the beginning of this rant), this is why trades are being positioned this way. Good strategy, but these trades should only work after the supplemental (if you're playing to win).

Take my team. My team has really gone thru a rough path of last minute redshirts, weight changes, no shows. I'm dead last in points. I've heard from many people looking to make "fair on paper" trades to close my gaps. I have:

2 holes (165 & 184), 2 weights that need improvement (133 & 141), 7 potential all americans, Double Rostered spots @ 4 weights (ideal trade position).

125: #17 Bonnano
133: UR Franco
141: UR Durso
149: #6 Alton
157: #11 Lester
165:
174: #6 Asper
184:
197: #3 Wright
HWT: #7 Thomusseit
Flex: #7 Scheidel

Bench: 125: UR Cox, 149: #17 Sueflohn, 157: #16 Eifert, 184: Redshirt Thomas 174: Turtog,

I'm not in dire straights (yet). Furthermore, the supplemental draft appears to be more robust than in years past. Remember, that is 3 free drops and 3 free pick ups. Why would I trade away my equity for multiple medium caliber wrestlers today.....when I can acquire equity by dropping my dead weight in a couple of weeks? Those kind of trades work AFTER the supplemental.

I'm posting this because I feel like I'm shutting people down on trades....and they think I either A) don't want to trade B) don't care or C) am unreasonable. My strategy is very straight forward. Get 11 good quality wrestlers before the conference tournament.

If you're interested, I'll be looking forward to making trades with equity on both of our teams.

[goferphan]

I think you are right on alot of points. I try to always make it a win win situation for both so I may improve my team by actually trading away a Dake to solidify myself for issues that have occurred through Redshirting, Injuries, etc. I try to stay within striking distance on points by staying in the Top Half if I can. I have a tendency to think that cream rises to the top. When you get in to conference season the Big Ten guys are beating the hell out of each other and you are lucky if you get 3 points per week out of guys. The tournaments are a big deal. But I look at this thing in phases...I try to draft the best guy left at any weight until my weights are filled then I start looking at my weaknesses and filling those with bench guys with good schedules. But injuries take their toll, then depending on how my team is doing I try to start looking at having to balance my team to qualify for Top 5 or if I'm going to have to win a wild card spot. I have issues that the supplemental is going to have to assist with but like Grips, I think there is some depth there. Then finally, after setting my team for the end run I have to make sure I have enough heavy hitters to still do respectable at NCAA's. I get accused of making dumb trades but I'm always in the conversation at the end of the year.

125 #16 Young-drafted to back up Zanetta (Injured), I think he is wrestling again now.
125 #21 Finch (Weak but serviceable), got through trade after Young got injured. Supplemental fodder.
125 #6 Zanetta-drafted, redshirted, no idea he was redshirting, kind of screwed me like with Chamberlain last year. Supplemental fodder
133 #4 Colon-coming back at Midlands at 125 or 133
133 #6 McCormick-drafted, holding his own, he stays on team to leverage Colon.
141 #3 Futrell, IL-received in trade
149 #14 Lopouchanski-drafted, had a decent schedule, I know what I have in him, scores points against lesser opponents, never cracks through to Top 10.
149 #17 Houdashelt-trade, I like Houdashelt at 149, I think he has some upside, could be a Rd12 guy. Depth at 149.
157 #5 Alton-trade, he'll be in the Top 5 at year end with a possibility of being in the finals.
165 #5 Polz-trade, nothing flashy, gets his wins, he's a gamer
174 #9 Fausey-trade, not sure what I have in him but wanted to trade the hell out of this weight in the Big Ten, that's a bloodbath.
184 #1 Bosak-trade, I don't think he'll beat Ed Ruth but I think he won't finish lower than 3rd.
197 #8 Burak-trade, if he finishes AA, I'll be happy with this trade. I had Richard Perry and Gadsen to begin the season so this is an upgrade
Hwt #13 Johnson-trade, traded out of Trice and ended up with Johnson. I will regret this packaged trade at this weight though I think Johnson works his way back up from #13 to around #8-10. Trice will finish above Johnson at NCAA's though and it could be by a lot.
Hwt UR Miller, Navy-drafted. My theory was he was the highest ranked guy coming back in EIWA at this weight and I thought I'd snake a conference champ. I think I got "snaked" instead. He is supplemental fodder for sure.

I actually think I'm pretty balanced. I am #11 I think right now in the standings but only 50 points out of playoff spots. I can reel in those points slowly and if not, then I better shift my team again for conference week. I should have some trade-bait to do so after supplemental.

I don't have any champs but I think I have shots at AA's in 9 weights.

125 Colon
133 McCormick

141 Futrell
157 Alton
165 Polz
174 Fausey
184 Bosak
197 Burak
Hwt Johnson.

9 AA's puts me in the conversation if I can get there.

[JensenS]

I got a trade request I considered to be kind of silly this week, just politely declined.

[goferphan]

FYI, it wasn't me...

[LoSt]

I've sent an offer or two to Grips but outside of that I haven't really been too active. I dont even remember if I made a single trade last year either. I know the two years before that I was notorious for wheeling and dealing

I guess these days its a combination of lack of time and general satisfaction with my team. My studs that are doing well I don't particularly want to trade, and no one wants to trade for my guys that aren't.

[goferphan]

We made a trade last year but I don't recall the details.

No, I don't want your guys that aren't doing well.