1968 Free Agent Auction

[leecemark]

--The Premium Free agent auction will commence at 8PM EST on Friday, Feb 15. If you have the Hometown Discount rights to a player from the 1962 draft and wish to exercise them you must post your bid on them prior to the beginning of that auction. Any player who gets a 3 year minimum offer (8M or greater) from their team will be added to the PFA roster below. Attached are the lists of all free agent hitters and pitchers. A few of them may still be picked up in the rookie draft and, of ocurse, would no longer be available. If you see someone on these list - or left off the list - that you believe is wrong please speak up ASAP so the discrepancy can be resolved before the auction.

--From the class of 62....
1) Skipjacks - Tony Oliva, LH-OF (premium with HTD rights)
2) Gamblers - Gaylord Perry, RH-P (premium with HTD)
3) Diablos - Willie Stargell, LH-OF (already entered FA deal)
4) Quakers - Bob Veale, LH-P (premium with HTD)
5) Hard Cider - Dick Radatz, RH-P (from Legends)
6) Redbirds - Dave McNally, LH-P (premium - unrestricted)[/B
7) Cannons - [b]Denis Menke, RH-SS (premium - unrestricted)
8) Skipjacks - Jim Bouton, RH-P (from Hard Cider)
9) Skipjacks - Don Lock, RH-OF (from Knights via Hard Cider)

Second Round - $250k
10) Skipjacks - Pete Ward, LH-3B
11) Gamblers - Cookie Rojas, RH-2B
12) Hard Cider - Pete Richert, LH-P (from Diablos) (already on FA deal)
13) Legends - Jack Lamabe, RH-P (from Quakers via Hard Cider)
14) Legends - Ed Charles, RH-3B
15) Redbirds - Bob Bailey, RH-3B
16) Legends - Bob Tillman, RH-C (from Cannons)
17) Redbirds - Dal Maxvill, RH-SS (from Hard Cider)
18) Legends - Denny Lemaster, LH-P (from Knights)

Third Round - $250k
19) Redbirds - Diego Segui, RH-P (from Skipjacks via Hard Cider)
20) Gamblers - Manny Mota, RH-OF
21) Diablos - Fred Norman, LH-P
22) Quakers - Joe Pepitone, LH-1B (premium with HTD)
23) Legends - Bo Belinsky, LH-P
24) Redbirds - Tommie Agee, RH-OF
25) Knights - Max Alvis, RH-3B (from Cannons)
26) Skipjacks - Bob Humphreys, RH-P (from Hard Cider)
27) Knights - Dennis Bennett, LH-P

Additional Picks - $250k
28) Skipjacks - Fred Whitfield, LH-1B
29) Legends - Bernie Allen, LH-2B
30) Redbirds - Gene Conley, RH-P
31) Cannons - Tommy Harper, RH-OF
32) Hard Cider - Ron Taylor, RH-P
33) Knights - Don Rudolph, LH-P
34) Skipjacks - Bud Daley, LH-P
35) Diablos - Ken McMullen, RH-3B (premium with HTD)
36) Legends - Don Stenhouse, RH-P

37) Redbirds - Ken Berry, RH-OF
38) Cannons - Cal Koonce, RH-P - already on FA contract
39) Hard Cider - Sammy Ellis, RH-P
40) Skipjacks - Jim Golden, RH-P
41) Legends - Joe Bonikowski, RH-P
42) Legends - Dan Osinski, RH-P
43) Legends - John Boozer, RH-P
44) Legends - Tommie Sisk, RH-P
45) Legends - Julio Navarro, RH-P

46) Legends - Bob Botz, RH-P
47) Legends - Merritt Ranew, LH-C
48) Legends - Manny Jiminez, LH-OF
49) Legends - Ted Savage, RH-OF
50) Cannons - Jim Roland, LH-P (already on FA deal)

Other premium FA: Joe Morgan (non-tender)

[catcher24]

Mark, did you only want discrepancies noted as to free agency status, or did you want team discrepancies pointed out. I see that of all those rookies I took in 1962, I had only one left on my roster in 1967 and released him after the season (Dan Osinski). Everyone else had been traded or released previously. I know some them still played last season, but for other teams.

[leecemark]

--Not sure I understand the question Lew, but please advise of any issues you see here. I'd like to have everything right, but some of these players have changed hands several times. I wouldn't be surprised if some other than those noted have been FA before and are already under contract.

[catcher24]

I think you answered my question with your reply. I was just wondering if you wanted it noted that a player would be a FA from another team, and was no longer on the Legends. It sounds like all you're asking is that you be advised if anyone shouldn't be on the list, or if anyone is missing that should be on the list. As far as the Legends, the answer is no, everyone seems OK.

[Sockeye]

Brooks Robinson should probably be on the premium free agent list. He made $18 mil last season.

[Erik Bedard]

And whose fault was that?

Hey, it was worth it.

[leecemark]

Brooks Robinson should probably be on the premium free agent list. He made $18 mil last season.

--He won't (or shouldn't anyway) make anywhere near that much this year. I suppose he is good enough to be auctioned separately though. That makes 9 for Friday night. 10 is the most I want to deal with in the premium phase, so if we add more than one more somebody gets demoted to the secondary bidding. I think I'm going to start with the top guys and work my way down this year so if anybody doesn't want to stay for the whole thing (they have gotten long sometimes) they don't miss out on a real star. That will put Gaylord Perry, Dave McNally, Tony Oliva and Joe Morgan up to kick things off.

[-Kyle-]

Gaylord Perry 25million

[leecemark]

--Well that should be a short auction anyway. 27.5 would be the qualifying bid for another team.

[-Kyle-]

Yep, and Petrocelli (shudder) and Carty ...I will only be able to keep one.

Perry (25)
Petrocelli/Carty (23+)
Kaat (15)

That takes up a solid 2/3 of my roster

[J W]

This is going to be some market.

We will offer an even $20 mil for Tony Oliva.

[catcher24]

This could be a pretty quick Friday evening PFA. I don't think anyone will go 27.5M on Perry (at least I know I won't), and 22M for Oliva is a bit steep as well. However, in reviewing his record over the next four years, it could happen. I have enough OFers, but someone else might be tempted. And if it does, 12M for Aaron will be a great price, and 1M for Bobby Bonds will be an absolute steal!

[Sockeye]

and 22M for Oliva is a bit steep as well. However, in reviewing his record over the next four years, it could happen. I have enough OFers, but someone else might be tempted.

My starting outfield for the '68 season consist of Norm Miller, Jay Johnstone, & Ron Swoboda

[catcher24]

My starting outfield for the '68 season consist of Norm Miller, Jay Johnstone, & Ron Swoboda

I don't think there's any doubt now that someone will be tempted....

BTW, my starting outfield in 1968 is Hank Aaron (153 OPS+), Reggie Smith (127), Rick Monday (140), backed up by Art Shamsky (107). In 1969, the same three, but improved: Aaron, 177; Smith, 143; Monday, 132; Shamsky, 139 - but he'll probably get grabbed in the expansion draft, since I can't afford to protect him.

And if you see me like this - :bowdown: - I'm simply praying to the injury gods to be kind to me this year...

[leecemark]

--If you best player had a fatal injury on Opening Day you'd still have the best team in the league