An OOTP XX Play, in 4 Acts

[Toddzilla]

Act I: Purchase and Install the Game

Act II: Start a New Game, Set Trading to "Very Difficult", Take Ownership of the Cubs

Act III: Shop Mark Zagunis, Receive Offers for JD Martinez, Kenley Jansen (And Others).

Act IV: Uninstall the Game, Request Refund

fin

[RainMaker]

In defense, the AI hates big contracts, especially for older players. If I remember correctly, Zagunis was a good player for me and under a team-friendly deal. That's probably why it does that.

The biggest issue is that "Win Now!" teams should not be worried about bad long term contracts. They should be worried about fielding the best team now. That's hard to program in.

What it's likely doing is seeing what will end up being a bad contract and getting out of it. With the way players decline (especially in OOTP), you'd be stuck paying $20 million for a replacement player in 2 years.

Also the first year is kind of wonky because the team payrolls don't match with the owners budget many times. So teams are in a desperate mode to get under budget and will take anything for their big, bad contracts.

[JonInMiddleGA]

But but but ... you can have a midget women's league based on Uranus.

[CU Tiger]

But but but ... you can have a midget women's league based on Uranus.


Can I have beer tents?

[RainMaker]

Just to add to this, a few things the AI might see.

Jansen was barely better than a replacement player last year (0.3 fWAR). And he's not rated as an elite closer in the game. So if the AI is valuing last year's stats and ratings, he looks overpaid by a lot.

JD Martinez on the other hand is horrendous defensively. Whether right or wrong, the AI values defense at a high level. There is nowhere you could play him in the NL. He only has value as a DH.

I ran a quick sim to see how everyone ended up:

Jansen ($56 million for 1.9 WAR)
2019 - 1.1 WAR 122 ERA+
2020 - 0.2 WAR 72 ERA+
2021 - 0.6 WAR 82 ERA+

JD Martinez ($86.2 million for 8.1 WAR)
2019 - 1.3 WAR 111 OPS+
2020 - 3.4 WAR 132 OPS+
2021 - 3.2 WAR 133 OPS+
2022 - 0.2 WAR 101 OPS+

Zagunis ($555k for 0.6 WAR)
2019 - 0.6 WAR 125 OPS+
Spent the rest of his time in the minors

Martinez seemed to be fine, although his inability to play in the field limits his value a great deal. Jansen on the other hand turns out to be a really bad contract.

Neither team should make the trade because they both should be in win now mode. But from a value perspective, the Dodgers got out of a bad contract and Martinez wasn't exactly tearing up the league in these sims. Put fictional names in these slots and I don't think you'd bat an eye.

[NobodyHere]

But but but ... you can have a midget women's league based on Uranus.

But do they get paid the same as the midget men on Uranus!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

But do they get paid the same as the midget men on Uranus!!

Only if you have beer tents enabled.

[Izulde]

Game hasn't been good since 6.5 - it's been a steaming pile ever since.

[stevew]

Only if you have beer tents enabled.

But which country is the beer from?

[Toddzilla]

In defense, the AI hates big contracts, especially for older players. If I remember correctly, Zagunis was a good player for me and under a team-friendly deal. That's probably why it does that.

The biggest issue is that "Win Now!" teams should not be worried about bad long term contracts. They should be worried about fielding the best team now. That's hard to program in.

What it's likely doing is seeing what will end up being a bad contract and getting out of it. With the way players decline (especially in OOTP), you'd be stuck paying $20 million for a replacement player in 2 years.

Also the first year is kind of wonky because the team payrolls don't match with the owners budget many times. So teams are in a desperate mode to get under budget and will take anything for their big, bad contracts.

Just to add to this, a few things the AI might see.

Jansen was barely better than a replacement player last year (0.3 fWAR). And he's not rated as an elite closer in the game. So if the AI is valuing last year's stats and ratings, he looks overpaid by a lot.

JD Martinez on the other hand is horrendous defensively. Whether right or wrong, the AI values defense at a high level. There is nowhere you could play him in the NL. He only has value as a DH.

I ran a quick sim to see how everyone ended up:

Jansen ($56 million for 1.9 WAR)
2019 - 1.1 WAR 122 ERA+
2020 - 0.2 WAR 72 ERA+
2021 - 0.6 WAR 82 ERA+

JD Martinez ($86.2 million for 8.1 WAR)
2019 - 1.3 WAR 111 OPS+
2020 - 3.4 WAR 132 OPS+
2021 - 3.2 WAR 133 OPS+
2022 - 0.2 WAR 101 OPS+

Zagunis ($555k for 0.6 WAR)
2019 - 0.6 WAR 125 OPS+
Spent the rest of his time in the minors

Martinez seemed to be fine, although his inability to play in the field limits his value a great deal. Jansen on the other hand turns out to be a really bad contract.

Neither team should make the trade because they both should be in win now mode. But from a value perspective, the Dodgers got out of a bad contract and Martinez wasn't exactly tearing up the league in these sims. Put fictional names in these slots and I don't think you'd bat an eye.

No, No, No, a thousand times no.

This trade would never ever happen under any circumstance in any league with any modicum of intelligence. Just, no.

[MrBug708]

The Stanton deal probably gets mocked in OOTP world but it still got done IRL.

That being said, trading is completely useless.

[JPhillips]

Last night I completed a trade for the 28 year-old reigning MVP with an ERA @3 and an expiring contract worth 8.5mil. All I gave up was a 30 year old, right handed reliever with an ERA of 4.25.

[MizzouRah]

Try Baseball Mogul... :D

[molson]

I'm having a lot of fun with this game as a manager-only simulation. The GM makes trades and moves, I just have to deal with it. I'm managing the '86 Red Sox, playing out the game 20 minutes at a time here and there. The GM made some trades to get younger, faster, and better on defense. I'm in a tight race with the Yankees for the AL East.

[EagleFan]

Like any sim, there will always be things that annoy. The game does most everything else very well.

[Mota]

I haven't experienced this type of issue at all recently. I've found trading to actually be pretty hard, trading an expiring contract has gotten me middle of the road prospects. If I am trying to trade for a top 10 prospect, even my best players are not enough. I'd have to trade two 4* guys or more to get a top prospect. And I'm not talking my middle reliever, the AI is looking for my top 3B or CF.

[MrBug708]

The AI has never been shy about asking for the moon for their top prospects/players on anything but a horrible contract.

[Poli]

Act I: Purchase and Install the Game

Act II: Start a New Game, Set Trading to "Very Difficult", Take Ownership of the Cubs

Act III: Shop Mark Zagunis, Receive Offers for JD Martinez, Kenley Jansen (And Others).

Act IV: Uninstall the Game, Request Refund

fin

I was close to this. Purchased. Installed. Wouldn't start. Uninstalled. Requested refund.

I had checked the min requirements before buying it and it appeared I would be in the clear. Guess not.

[bhlloy]

I haven't experienced this type of issue at all recently. I've found trading to actually be pretty hard, trading an expiring contract has gotten me middle of the road prospects. If I am trying to trade for a top 10 prospect, even my best players are not enough. I'd have to trade two 4* guys or more to get a top prospect. And I'm not talking my middle reliever, the AI is looking for my top 3B or CF.

Yeah, if there's any real issue I've seen is that the AI massively overrates prospects, even for teams that should be looking to add a key piece. I wonder if it's intentional as it's been way to easy to just stockpile prospects in the past, or just a limitation of the engine.

As to the OP issue, I agree somewhat with Rainmaker. There's probably some underlying issue with settings and/or financials causing the AI to behave like that, the problem of course is always that OOTP has made tracking down those settings and getting consistent MLB like behavior out of the box an absolute nightmare.