The Art of The Fantasy Baseball Trade

At their very core, fantasy baseball trades are simply a negotiation between two parties.  Everything that goes into making these trades has roots in the world of psychology as it's all about mind games and diplomacy.  While you don't need to be a psychologist to do a trade, it doesn't hurt to take some lessons from them in order to make better trades.  Within that world, there are six steps and three phases to the negotiation process and here's a quick overview of how they'll apply for us fantasy ballers:

Phase 1: Before The Negotiation
Step 1: Preparing and Planning - Determine what you have and what you can give up.  Gather information on the other owner as far their negotiating style and anticipate what their needs are.

Phase 2: During The Negotiation
Step 2: Setting The Tone - How you approach the trade will greatly determine the likelihood of you being able to work out a deal.
Step 3: Exploring Underlying Needs - Figure out where difficulties may exist and explore alternatives.
Step 4: Selecting, Refining and Crafting an Agreement - Present the starting offer and listen for new ideas as it gets hashed out.
Step 5: Reviewing and Recapping the Agreement - Formalize the trade offer and send it through on your fantasy site.

Phase 3: After The Negotiation
Step 6: Reviewing the Negotiation - Think about what went well and what can be improved next time.

During the negotiation, it's not until the third step that an offer is even made and that's important to keep in mind.  It's unproductive to substitute a trade offer for a conversation.  If you really want to make a deal work, talk to the other owner first and see what their needs are.

Don't ignore the phases that happen before and after a trade.  As you explore a trade, take the time to think about what your bargaining chips are (you're going to have to give up something of value after all) but also think about the other owner as far as their personality and needs.  After you complete a trade, take the time to think about how it went and try to learn what you can do better next time because you should always try to improve this skill of negotiation.

You won't get anywhere in trading if you don't think of your trade partner.  Think of their needs and their motivations then try to find a way to speak to those two things.  Don't say too much as you never know what they might be willing to offer.  If you approach a trade by saying "I really want to get rid of Chase Utley and would take Ben Zobrist for him" then you're never going to know if you could have gotten more out of it as the other owner may love Chase Utley and be willing to give up someone much better.  Start things off slow with a couple e-mails to see their mindset but don't mention specific names in hopes that they might offer you something better than you expected.

When all else fails, there are some dirtier tactics you can employ such as setting a deadline to increase the pressure.  If you say "I'm only putting this offer on the table until midnight tonight then it's gone", it changes the dynamic of the trade and might make the owner concede more if they think the window is closing.

While drafting and free agent pickups are a big piece of winning fantasy baseball championships, you can gain tons of value in trades if you play your cards right.  Keep in mind some of these tips and try to improve your team and your skills with every trade you make.  Even if your league isn't active in trades, try to open up a conversation with other owners and see if you can get the ball rolling.  Winning leagues is all about gaining value and trades are one of the best ways to do it after a draft.

Posted in: 2011