Already the founders with their many neglected or sandbagging teams cast a negative and/or solitaire-like aura over PB. While I did decide to try a LL again, I would never join a league again unless it was fully-paid. (and probably not a LL again as I already see how neglected this one is.)

My recomendation would be to put all founders and any other free teams into separate free-leagues. Keep the free teams away from the paid ones so that paid leagues will be vibrant. The key is developing an attactive product, more than squeezing more dollars out of a declining base while making the game even less compelling.