Downgrade Waivers

Downgrade Waivers – "downgrading" – is the mechanism by which one (1) Tier C or Tier D player can have his keeper compensation level reduced. An alternative use for downgrading is to prevent Tier D/C keepers from transitioning to Tier C/B compensation. Downgrade attempts are permitted throughout the offseason up until the Downgrade Deadline indicated by the Commissioner. Every GM can attempt to downgrade one player's keeper status of their choosing once per offseason.

General
GMs may only attempt one downgrade per season, whether it is successful or unsuccessful. Downgrade attempts are only permitted once the postseason has concluded and the Offer Sheet period has officially opened.

Steps
GMs will initiate a downgrade attempt by informing the league of their intention to downgrade a player on the Facebook group. Once the league is aware, the GM will place the player on "downgrade waivers", where he will remain until the waiver processing period is complete. Should the player clear waivers (more on this below), the downgrade will be considered successful.

Players are on Downgrade Waivers for 48 hours from the moment of the announcement.

The post should take the following form:

''The Colorado Rockies are placing D Tyson Barrie on downgrade waivers for the purposes of a Tier Downgrade. Any team claiming him has 48 hours to do so, and will be required to keep him for a 14th round pick''

Teams placing players set to transition on downgrade waivers must indicate their current (and NOT transitioned) keeper cost a bidding team would pay in the event he was claimed off downgrade waivers.

Claims
Rival GMs may claim the player by by commenting on the Facebook post. Comments are irrevocable, meaning they cannot be deleted or edited. Multiple claims will result in an equally-weighted, randomized draw. This end result would indicate an unsuccessful downgrade attempt, where the player does not clear waivers.

Opposing GMs that claim a player off Downgrade Waivers are required to either keep him or trade him to another team, who must then keep him. The claimed player must enter the draft as a keeper.

No comments on the Facebook post announcing the downgrade attempt would indicate the player has cleared downgrade waivers.

Result
There are two possible outcomes arising from successfully downgrading a player. In both cases, the Team that has succeeded with the Downgrade is not required to keep the player.

No Transition Case

If a player is not set to transition, he will downgrade two (2) rounds – this means, his new keeper compensation is now X + 2 ''(where X is the original compensation for the player).

Transition Case
If a player is set to transition, a successful downgrade will prevent him transitioning to the next tier (unchanged)

Scenario 1
The Maroons drafted Tyson Barrie in Round 7. His keeper compensation calls for a Round 5 pick, as he is a Tier C player and Tier C compensation is X-2.

The Maroons successfully downgrade Barrie. He can now be kept for a Round 7 pick. '' Original compensation: Round 5. Downgraded compensation: 5 - 2 = Round 7''

Scenario 2
The Rockies kept Tyler Johnson in Round 23 last offseason, and he is set to transition to Tier C (compensation: Round 11). In an attempt to prevent the transition, the Rockies place Johnson on downgrade waivers. His keeper cost to claiming teams would remain Round 23, and would not be Round 11 (the transitioning keeper cost).

History
Downgrading was introduced in 2014. Initially, managers were allowed to downgrade players by one full Tier: eligible Tier C players were downgraded to Round 14 successfully.

As of 2015-2016, downgrades occur on the fixed basis of a two (2) round reduction in keeper compensation, and no longer via a full Tier drop.