" NEWSLETTER "

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES...!

February  11,  2026
By:  John Pozenel
Saginaw Wizards

With the recent lull in activity this offseason, it’s got me thinking quite a bit about team building. This is by far my favorite part of this league. Sure, it’s fun to see how well the team you built performs, but building is where the real enjoyment lies for myself. 

With 28 teams, there are 28 personalities (29 if you count both of Tony’s) and 28 different philosophies on how to build a team. Each one of us has the opportunity on a yearly basis to do what we feel is best for our team. Sometimes that is simply getting through the season and hoping for better luck with injuries and performance next year or beyond. Sometimes it consists of taking a measured approach to challenging for a playoff spot. Other times, you may throw caution to the wind and sell out for a title run.

Regardless of your goals, there are multiple ways to achieve them. Certain general managers prefer to  build through the draft. Others through trades. Some GMs become attached to players. Others have no sentimental ties. Some rely on analytics. Others trust their gut (there’s a lot to trust in my case). There is no wrong way to build a team. We’ve all made bad decisions in the process, but as long as you have an approach – it’s the right one. Looking at the league’s history, we can see that some GMs have had more success than others in achieving their goals (you can call him Al). Some of that is luck, and some of that is making the right decisions.

This quiet time in the offseason has led to some questions about approaches to building teams. Not  everyone wants to trade their way to a title run. Same as, not everyone covets draft picks. Maybe a GM genuinely likes their players. Perhaps another sees more potential or value in a player than others. What may seem like a good choice to one GM, may seem like a terrible choice to another. I think we all have asked at one time or another, “what was he thinking?” And we’ve probably all looked back at drafts and trades and asked, “what was I thinking?” That is the beauty of this league. If we all built teams using the exact same approach, much of the enjoyment would be lost.

So, while it may be quiet and nobody is currently making moves, that doesn’t mean GMs don’t care or have lost interest. It may just mean that their vision doesn’t necessarily align with yours. Or maybe a GM just wants to keep a certain player. Maybe he’s rented a home from Jim, or maybe he’s close to breaking the Militia’s career hit record. We all have different motives and ideas on how our team should look. Trades will come hot and heavy again after the draft to fill needs. Some good choices will be made, and some bad ones. The only decisions we can make are for our own teams. Each GM has their own vision and own approach to team building.

Oh, and Chris wanted me to let you know that everyone on his team is available for trade.

Happy building fellas!
POZ