How often do you accept a first offer?

[Londondynasty]

Or do you usually try to engage in negotiations to improve a deal?

I have lost a few deals recently that I think I should have just accepted by trying to tweak slightly, proceeding on the basis that people rarely make their best offer first up.

[CubfanAA]

I accept any offer I think improves my team. I don't see the point in trying to squeeze an extra 3rd or something out of somebody if the offer is already worth accepting. You never know what other trade offers somebody has out there that can take your offer off the table.

[YouMightDieTryin]

Probably about 3% of the time as you know most initial trades aren't going to benefit both teams and there's always wiggle room.

Visa versa - how many trades do you send out that are smash accepts?

[murphysxm]

I won't not accept if I ike a deal just to try to get something more added. That being said very few initial offers make me want to hit accept

[moishetreats]

A few years ago, I listed my house for sale. Surprisingly, exactly seven days later, I got an offer from a buyer for EXACTLY my listing price. I didn't negotiate at all and accepted on the spot.

You ultimately have to decide if trying to get more is worth losing out on a deal that you like as-is.

[killer_of_giants]

my leaguemates are cunts and only send shite offers.

[MEuRaH]

I accept if it's fair and it improved my team. In only 2 instances ever I countered with more on my end because what they were asking from me was too low. I'm a commissioner, I don't want to see that stuff.

Someone said 3%. That's probably about right. My pet peeve is when I send a great offer and they counter with a late 4th added on to my side. Just... why. I usually accept it but make a note not to initiate future offers with that owner if I don't have to.

my leaguemates are ------ and only send ----- offers.

We can do better...

[FiremanEd]

It’s a low percentage of overall offers received, though I send a lot more offers than I receive, and as such many received are counters to my offers.

If an offer is of interest to me I will accept. I don’t take the approach that just because they offered, that I should just try to get a little something extra on top. If someone does that to me, I have often declined. If that small piece is the difference, then I will let them decide if it is the deal breaker for them or not and which side wants it more.

[abloom]

It drastically varies depending on who is offering. There are a few owners out there that send horrible offers as "an opening offer". In my opinion they aren't good offers and I'm less interested in trading with them if they are going to negotiate that way. Others send offers that I can accept without any negotiation. Provided that the trade improves my team, I'm happy making the trade, even if I don't get "MAX VALUE" out of it by negotiating. As I look at it, by accepting their offer without counter (again provided that I think the trade improves my team), I believe it opens the door for future trades. No one is going to say, "Hey I don't want to trade with that person because they accepted my offer without counter". When they are looking to move pieces, they are going to remember that you were easy to trade with, and that they can put in less effort making the move with you than with someone else.


Now, if we are talking about negotiations outside of just trade offers (ie via text, email, group chat etc), I basically just figure out what they are trying to improve, what they are willing to give up, and see if there is a trade to be made with what I'm looking for and what I'm willing to give up. Sometimes it leads to back and forth othertimes it just ends there when we figure out there is nothing to be gained. Sometimes its a quick back and forth and a fast deal.

Overall: I would say that on real offers, about 10% of the time, I have accepted without any counter. Probably roughly the same for my offers too, about 10% of the time I get accepted without them countering. I don't think there has ever been an instance where I have received an offer, countered thinking I could get a little more out of it, and then settled on the original offer.

[M-Dub]

In my leagues, we all know each other IRL to some degree, so the vast majority of trade negotiations are done via text. One owner in particular loves trading, but still suffers from PTSD from some bad trades he made a couple years ago. I’ve actually had him send me an offer via text that I liked, but when I told him to propose it on MFL, he started to second-guess himself and backed out of the deal. So with him specifically, I have to pretend to want more, even if I’d take the offer as is. With the rest of the guys, negotiating is a little more straightforward.

I usually try to send something close to my best offer when I open discussions, and I think most of the other guys do the same. Most of us have been playing together for 5-6 years, so there’s not a lot of lowballing going on. In my experience, when you send your best offer or close to it, you’re much more likely to get the other owner engaged and sometimes even close a deal with no counter. I’d much rather build strong trade relations with my leaguemates than obsess over extracting a few extra blind bidding dollars to “maximize value.”

[killer_of_giants]

my leaguemates are ------ and only send ----- offers.

We can do better...

with your swear-filter? totally!

[jcc6fd]

I tend to accept more first offers than negotiated ones. In my experience deals that are more likely to get done are closer from the initial offer. If there's any kind of a gap the negotiations tend to go sour.

[Plank]

I really like getting 3 or 4 offers around the same theme, as in if someone was after X, they offer 3 or 4 variations to get that player or pick. I will always usually work with a player like that if I'm ok in moving that player.

Some players simply will retire on my roster .. heh.

[CGW]

If it's a good offer I'll accept it, regardless if it's a first or fifth offer. That said, I rarely get great offers. I usually have to negotiate to get to an offer worth accepting. I wouldn't risk messing up a deal for a 3rd round pick, etc. I did that last year and am kicking myself for it, as the other owner got cold feet after I countered a very small counter. He then pulled even the original offer off the table.

[OhCruelestRanter]

I’d say I accept less than 5% of the initial offers I get, and maybe 1/4 of the offers that I’ve accepted were the initial offer.