Trade Tactics...

[One87]

Just curious to hear/read what are some of your favorite or most effective trade tactics or techniques. If you want to go further, you can post a tactic and what kind of successful return it yielded.

I'm not saying it's my favorite, but trade by way of attrition is suprisingly effective. The numerous inquiries and long talks can be a bit much, but sometimes it's the only way.

To date, my best return was on a buy-low, sell-high. I moved Grabner a couple years back coming off of his seemingly breakout season in exchange for Seguin.

[Pengwin7]

I make very few trades in my leagues... just like an NHL GM, I make one maybe two trades per year. Very, very shrewd.

My #1 advice is use the following line:
I am interested in ______. What would you want for him?

The response will tell you whether you have any chance to pull off a trade with the manager of whether he is unreasonable.
It's a very quick, easy way to assess a prospective trading-GM.
Also, and this is critical... if you want to make a trade with another team to get his player... you have to let him pick a player from your team.

The biggest mistake I see is people straight-up making a proposal:
I'll give you Filppula & Simmonds for Scott Hartnell.
No, no, no. That's already being bossy and telling the guy what you think is fair.
Nobody is going to take your first offer.
AND even if it IS fair, they will think it's a low-ball offer.
So, this tact damages your own goods or sours the other guy.

I do realize some people use the Yahoo! trade function where you have to click players - but if that's the case, I just do this:
Seguin
for
Lebda

And I include a note: "This isn't a real trade offer... but I am interested in Seguin. Do I have anybody that interests you? If yes, send me back an offer".

The guy will either reply with a trade offer or just say NO.

Easy peasy.

[gainerama]

I grossly over pay, it works most of the time.

[lucifer316]

I grossly over pay, it works most of the time.

yeah small leagues limited keepers i love to brute force a trade

i like to put offers out there that they dont have time to think about they just click accept

bigger leagues more keepers i give the other guy the win right now making sure i will win the deal starting next year and every year after that

[ericdaoust]

My best advice is to give people "what they want." If a team goes all-in for a rebuild or a title run, there are opportunities to get the better value in the trade. Check the trade block and look for cheap gains. You don't have to hit a home run every time. Solid base hits add up.

[rataylor22]

Most of the leagues I play in are with people I know. I usually resort to text message persuasion, where I make them think they are getting the better deal/player but whatever I am getting in return for some reasons is a need for me. One of my favorite trades from last year was telling one of the guys for a couple weeks casually how happy I had been with Bobby Ryan on my team and then trading him 1 for 1 for Parise, who he was frustrated with. Another successful trade tactic I've found is need for need, i.e. I just traded Zajac and got Clowe back. I needed a LW and he needed a C.

[kevinsrangers]

i like to trade my crappy guys for other managers studs.
.
.
.doesnt always work though.lol.

[One87]

LOL...loving the direction of this thread already. Pengwin, I respect the shrewdness. There's a "pengwin" in every league who frustrates the HELL out of people!! OMG, you are bang on with your examples. Your advice example is ideal for inquiry. The second is a major turn off. I'm prone to reply with a poopy response like: "I'll give you Casey Wellman and Joe Vitale + a 5th rd pick for RNH." -- Basically piss off.



Gainerama - I've done that for guys like Huberdeau in my sig. I'm a firm believer if you want someone do what you have to do. And in a short period of time, suitors come knocking and it's easy to turn down a lot of offers because they're not willing to pay what you did, if not more.

lucifer - brute force offers... yeah along the line of over-paying, but sometimes you don't want to give a person time to think and walk away... nice!

Eric - Yes! Offering your a trade that benefits only you is almost as bad as offering "trash"
for gold.

rataylor - Aaah, the salesman! Nothing like creating a sell-high.

Kevin - tisk... tisk... You're a fleecer. LOL.

[ericdaoust]

Another thing - don't insult the other GM. You don't want him to roll his eyes before even reading your trade offer. That's why I prefer having a set goal when talking trade rather than throwing stuff at the wall hoping it sticks.

[Shoeless]

I grossly over pay, it works most of the time.

Me too - but there is usually a method to the madness. It is commonly possible to overpay and give the guy a good deal and come out of it with an upgrade and a satisfactory FA pickup or draft pick that covers your overpay.

Example:

In July 2010 in a 12 team keep 17, I recognized that PK Subban was going to be available in our pro draft because he was called up for a couple of games the season before and he wasn't on anyone's farm, so I sent D Roy and a 3rd round waiver pick to the owner of the 1st overall waiver pick. Ouch, but the result was I picked Subban and was able to protect Lupul as a consequence of having one less keeper in Roy.

Total deal: My D Roy and a 3rd round waiver pick for PK Subban and Lupul. I figure I overpaid and came out just fine.

[Shoeless]

yeah small leagues limited keepers i love to brute force a trade

i like to put offers out there that they dont have time to think about they just click accept

bigger leagues more keepers i give the other guy the win right now making sure i will win the deal starting next year and every year after that

These are good tactics to my mind.

[Shoeless]

But I also do stupid stuff. Sometimes I get creative without thinking about the longer term or the consequences in enough detail - big name players it really pays to slow down and factor things out.

[kenzle1r]

I work in bulk - that is I make a TON of trades throughout the year...I try to address a particular need, even if it's a marginal gain (IMO) I take it or pursue it.

Of all the trades I make (lets say I average over 15 trades per league), I send out a ton of offers. I call them feelers...checking the temperature. I try to to make it as fair as possible but I always leave "wiggle room" on my offers in case they hit me back with a counter.

I usually like pursuing players on "the trade block" as I find guys who are posted their typically come cheaper as their GM is outright saying he is willing to move him.

I also try to compete every year. Never rebuild...I don't let "age of players" get in the way of competing (just look at my team in sig!).

I ALWAYS like to keep lines of communications open with other GMs. I'm in several leagues where I have never met the GMs in person yet I communicate with them all the time via emails or texts...I find that this is invaluable to making deals.

[One87]

I work in bulk - that is I make a TON of trades throughout the year...I try to address a particular need, even if it's a marginal gain (IMO) I take it or pursue it.

Of all the trades I make (lets say I average over 15 trades per league), I send out a ton of offers. I call them feelers...checking the temperature. I try to to make it as fair as possible but I always leave "wiggle room" on my offers in case they hit me back with a counter.

I usually like pursuing players on "the trade block" as I find guys who are posted their typically come cheaper as their GM is outright saying he is willing to move him.

I also try to compete every year. Never rebuild...I don't let "age of players" get in the way of competing (just look at my team in sig!).

I ALWAYS like to keep lines of communications open with other GMs. I'm in several leagues where I have never met the GMs in person yet I communicate with them all the time via emails or texts...I find that this is invaluable to making deals.

Nice. You're what I call a scavanger.

[kenzle1r]

ya sometimes my tactics piss guys off (as I'm relentless when I want someone in particular)...but it's all fair in fantasy hockey!