Things to consider with "Open Franchise League $100MM Cap"

This league, initially looked interesting.
Then i read the rules that you can draft any player that played for your franchise, even if he doesn't have a strat card.
I think franchise leagues are basically unbalanced and unfair, unless you play 12 seasons, each owner getting a chance with each time.
This format is even more challenging, as certain teams are greatly weakened by the fact that they have virtually all of their top players that can be drafted by other teams.

There are many top players that played for 3-4 teams, so you can't count on getting critical players that you would normally count on in Franchise Leagues.

Here are just a few examples, there are many more:

You pick the Braves franchise. Uh oh. You discover that every one of your top starting pitchers, is available to other teams:
Maddux=Cubs
Smoltz--Cards and Red Sox
Glavine--Mets.
Niekro--Blue Jays, Indians

And there are more liabilities-
One of their two good catchers is Joe Torre---who also played for the Cardinals
Dale Murphy--Also played for the Phils
Andruw Jones--also played for the Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers and White Sox
Darrel Evans--Tigers and Giants
Hank Aaron: Brewers
Red Scheondienst (only decent 2B)--also played for the Cards
Gene Garber: Also played for the Phils
Andres Galarraga: Expos, Rockies

You could lose your all your top 4 pitchers, and your lose your 3 top OF's in the draft---selecting the Braves franchise could be a disaster.

there are 4-5 other franchises that are very adversely affected by the rule---here are some key players that are at risk for the dodgers:

Kevin Brown: Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees, Padres, Rangers
Orel Hersheiser: Dodgers, Indians, Giants, Mets
Fernando Valenzuela: Dodgers, Cards, Padres, Phils, Orioles
Piazza: Mets
Pedro Guerrero: Cardinals
Kirk Gibson: Tigers
Brett Butler: Indians, Braves, Dodgers
Adrian Beltre: Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, Rangers
Gil Hodges: dodgers, Mets

the Dodgers are another franchise where you could end up without many of your key players.

Though Franchise leagues often appear to be fun, they are not balanced, and very often -6-8 teams are quickly out of the running due to those imbalances.

This format, would increase the imbalance, by the multiple franchise player rule---I looked at taking both the Braves or the Dodgers, and it would be tough compete with the potential of losing so many of your key players.

Sure, but it works both ways. Sure if you pick up the Braves, you can lose Javy Lopez and Torre, but you can get Dietz or Simmons.

Plus, in a 100M, access to top players is less critical than in other formats like 140M.

I would have definitely taken the Dodgers. Started putting together a team but see someone just joined using the Dodgers so too late.

I saw someone took the Rockies!! Wow, this person is courageous!! They have some great values, especially for pitchers, but if you don't get them, you are stuck using pitchers that are way overpriced.

I was to write other things, but I'll keep silenece to give this team a chance!!

Marc--
good point regarding the salary issue.
i have just found that very often in franchise leagues, where players are available to multiple teams, if you don't get certain key players, then you are done even before the season begins, and once the draft happens, you can only draw from your franchise in terms of adding players. So, for instance, if you pick the Braves, and lose out on Maddux in the draft, there is abso no one you can get in waivers that could come anywhere near to equalling his card.
but the 100 mill salary limit certainly does add another element to it.

I would have joined this league as the Braves, but with the rule stated that owners can pick any player who played for their franchise, there too many key players that I could lose in the draft.---and as certain teams have few players that are draftable by other teams (the Astros for instance), that creates a disparity.

also.....putting Chipper Jones at SS as a 4,.......ouch......
but if one could get them in the draft, the OF of Andruw Jones, Dale Murphy and Hank Aaron is pretty fair all the way around. But all those guys are available to other teams. As is Eddie Mathews. Too much risk at not getting the key players.

just joined as the Astros. gulp. catcher and SS are pretty bare...

Just got a look at the rosters..

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/rosters/434447

Well, the Colorado team was able to pull out a 99M roster. Hats off!! The key of course was to get Walker, but the Cards didn't seem to make an attempt of drafting him. Without Walker, the only interesting option would have been to set Murphy at rf and draft Finley, but Finley is worth 4M less than Walker.

The weak side of course for the Rockies is the pitching. Saberhagen and Jimenez are not exactly top values...I would pick up Fassero over Hurst, and I would definitely pick up Jay Witasick who is the only set-up man available for them right now.

As far as I can see, Mike Lansing is the only available second baseman for the Rockies, and this team got him. And Lansing is a surprising good value, with his 4 BP vs lhp, I feel he's worth probably a bit over 1M. But if Lansing gets hurt, the Rockies have no one else than one of the worst card in the set: Freddie Benavides!! Ouch, you don't want that!! Actually, the Rockies probably have one of the best value bench in Ron Gant, Greg Vaughn, Weiss and Sweeney. If SOM can only add a second baseman in the set, you could add Lansing in the set and have the best value bench among franchise teams. PErsonnally, I would love that SOM introduces Terry Shumpert' 1999 card! Tons of double, some homerun power, but I guess he got too few AB to merit a nomination.

just joined as the Astros. gulp. catcher and SS are pretty bare...

You seem to have got a pretty good draft. You got Clemens over the Red Sox. Bagwell of course was a gimme, the key for him was whether you would be in a division with plenty of left--handed pitching so that you can use Bagwell 9L, and it seems you felt in the right division with the Dodgers!!

As I said, the key to winning in 100M in my opinion is to avoid the most overpriced players---Cedeno in my opinion is one of them. He's probably worth in the range of 8M...maybe a bit more in Minute Maid, but still...in turn, Wynn's 7M card is in my opinion one of the best valued card. And I believe that are still good options at rf for you...

In any case, good luck with your team!!

Marc-
great input per the Rockies.
one thing for sure, by studying and seeing who drafted whom, I learned a whole lot more as to what players played for what teams---wow.
Piazza on the A's---now that was new.

Cedeno is over-priced, even in Minute Maid, but his defense is a major plus, and the only other option in CF is mediocre in comparison.

for the Strohs, catcher is a black hole, and though in Minute Maid Thon is decent (has good power for a SS)--the D is not optimal.

In Minute Maid, Berkman's power is lost, as a switch hitter all those BP HRs vs RH pitchers are lost, so he went bye bye.

LF is interesting. Cruz is a decent LH bat, and if the money was there to platoon him with Bass, that would work, but I think the budget is going to put Hatcher as the platoon with Cruz. I need tons of salary to upgrade Clemens, Biggio and Richards.

Lidge unfortunately will have to go, his BP HRs against RH hitters is not pretty. Hal does not like Nolan Ryan (why can't we have some of his truly dominating cards) ---not sure what to do there.

One thing for sure, is that the Strohs have a good chance at leading the league in doubles-
Bagwell-48
Biggio-51
Caminiti-31
Thon-28
Cruz-33
Cedeno-39
Wynn-29

Just got a look at the rosters..

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/rosters/434447

Well, the Colorado team was able to pull out a 99M roster. Hats off!!...

So that's my team... I guess that makes me the 'courageous' one - haha. Looks like I had the first overall pick so what you see there is the roster as I originally conceived it.

Initially the idea was to run a four-man rotation and ride Oswalt out of the bullpen, with Henry spelling him, and Mesa finishing games. But there's certainly some food for thought in your post to consider. Might consider upgrading Saberhagen and looking at some different options at 1B or LF... but then again, it's Coors Field, why not just try and win 10-9 every night, right?

Thank God for that Benavides card - I couldn't have pulled off a team without him. Couldn't believe there wasn't a stray Eric Young or Tony Womack or Mark Ellis hanging around to play 2B.

Options are gonna be pretty limited on the waiver wire, obviously, so there won't be a lot of room to maneuver, but hey, whether they win 90 or lose 90, it'll be fun. A big part of the fun of this game is to use guys who are childhood heroes - these are mine.