Trade Restrictions Released!
Inter-League Trading is a “Go”

November 18, 2019: PEBA Headquarters – In simultaneous news releases, league officials of both the PEBA and LRS officially removed all previous restrictions on inter-league trading today. Those constraints were made in the aftermath of the Slimeball Attack that touched upon both leagues and has led to a historic agreement and merger, and were put in place to allow the entire situation to stabilize. Given the subsequent merger, however, the league has now gone one step further and removed all restrictions on numbers and types of trades, with the only remaining limitation being on draft picks to be made in 2020.

“The plan has settled into place now, and we see no reason to keep our ball clubs from improving themselves,” the PEBA release said. “And since the merger will bring us together in a year’s time, neither league sees value in adding the administrative required to monitor those earlier rules. The LRS notice added that “the hot stove league is a time-honored tradition, and with the completion of our recent contraction draft we expect fans will have a lot to talk about.”

To reiterate the key points in both releases (which were quite obviously coordinated both in content and in timing, certainly a sign of the two group’s collaboration and a show of solidarity):

1) Trades are now openly allowed between any ball club in the PEBA/LRS landscape.
2) Draft picks to be selected in 2020 are ineligible to be traded across leagues.
3) The PEBA Community Manager (Matt Higgins) will be releasing specific guidelines for the Winter Meeting process sometime in the next week.

This step would seem to be one of the most firm indications that life in the PEBAverse is returning to something resembling normalcy. It has been a remarkable process to watch. It bears noting, however, that while all official communications have been bold, aggressive, and highly optimistic, it is probably not too surprising that as details have surfaced, a few grumblings have been heard in recent conversation around the league. And this cautious fan has to admit that the proof will be in the pudding. Will the stitches hold when the bandages are removed? Will the LRS be able to pull itself together and create a competitive division? Will the fans really turn out in the numbers that PEBAverse executives seem so certain of?

Time will tell, of course. But getting teams moving again is certainly a great first step.