Is Free Agency really this broken?

[bigdaddykraven]

Ok so I know they changed a lot of the rules on free agency etc on the game so I made a save just before all the offseason stuff and signed guys and simmed the offseason. I didn't have any money to sign anyone from free agency so I just tried to resign all of my guys.

I'm playing as the Reds, for context, so I go to sign guys like Billy Hamilton and a few young pitchers since they are still under team control and not yet at arbitration. I offer them all contracts, none of them sign the contract by the end of the off season.

Instead of being able to sign them at 80% of their previous salary or higher they leave. I think "ok well I have $30M available despite the game saying I didn't have any money to sign guys, so I'll just try to sign them in spring training."

Here's where it got interesting. I go to sign Billy Hamilton, he asks for 1.1M a year, I thing, ok well lets see how many years I can lock him up. He signs for 1.1M a year to a 10 year deal. At first I think this is just a fluke or he just wants to play baseball. Then I go to sign a couple of young MLB pitchers, 500K a year for 10 years, signed...probably did that same contract successfully with about 8 guys.

Its not just the guys I let go, its ANYONE. Jimmy Rollins, 4M a year, 10 years, yes sir. Verlander, 6M a year, 10 years signed. As long as I can press left and afford their 1 year minimum I can press left again to change it to 10 years and get them to sign for that price. I recorded a video of this if no one else has seen it.

[countryboy]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

why would you want to sign so many guys to 10 year deals?

[bronxbombers21325]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I haven't noticed anything this extreme. But it is very easy to resign players. It seems like they'll resign with you no matter what you offer them. But I refuse to offer anything over a 5 year deal to anyone who is 28 or older, and I will never give anyone a 10 year deal.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I'm not saying I would want to do that, but I tried it again last night, letting a young guy, 24 years old, go at the end of free agency (I worked it so his contract didn't work out) an I was able to sign an A prospect 24 year old for 400K for 10 years.

My point being, when trying to resign him during the offseason, he wanted like 5.8M a year for a contract that long but wanted only 400K for 1 year deal.

[countryboy]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I'm not saying I would want to do that, but I tried it again last night, letting a young guy, 24 years old, go at the end of free agency (I worked it so his contract didn't work out) an I was able to sign an A prospect 24 year old for 400K for 10 years.

My point being, when trying to resign him during the offseason, he wanted like 5.8M a year for a contract that long but wanted only 400K for 1 year deal.

I don't know, I guess I don't see this being broken or whatever. I mean, I don't think anyone would've ever thought that someone would try to resign a bunch of players to a 10 year deal.

I don't know. I guess its "broken" but having gone through the offseason and signing guys to deals that I thought would work best for my team now and in the future, I don't have to worry about this "broken" aspect of the game.

[bronxbombers21325]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I don't know, I guess I don't see this being broken or whatever. I mean, I don't think anyone would've ever thought that someone would try to resign a bunch of players to a 10 year deal.

I don't know. I guess its "broken" but having gone through the offseason and signing guys to deals that I thought would work best for my team now and in the future, I don't have to worry about this "broken" aspect of the game.

Exactly, it being broken is kind of a moot point in this case, because I really doubt anyone who is playing a serious franchise is going to offer an entire team 10 year deals. I would guess that many people are like me, and refuse 10 year deals no matter the circumstances. The longest deal I have ever given was to Michael Pineda, and I gave him a 6 year deal. He signed for 10 million a year. He had offers from the Mets and Mariners but resigned with me. I guess the Mariners were regretting that trade.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I re did it right signing my guys in the offseason but sometimes when you come to spring training you need another pieces or two. Call me crazy but one of the reason I like playing a sim where I'm a GM is making the deal, which includes being a shrewd business man when it comes to signing guys.

If it were just the guys you want to resign, that's one thing but I'm seeing 26 year old players let go for whatever reason. I decide I want to sign the guy to give some depth to my system and there's no "deal" making there. He just signs for his lowest rate however long I choose (that includes 3, 4, 5 or even 10 years).

[countryboy]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I re did it right signing my guys in the offseason but sometimes when you come to spring training you need another pieces or two. Call me crazy but one of the reason I like playing a sim where I'm a GM is making the deal, which includes being a shrewd business man when it comes to signing guys.

If it were just the guys you want to resign, that's one thing but I'm seeing 26 year old players let go for whatever reason. I decide I want to sign the guy to give some depth to my system and there's no "deal" making there. He just signs for his lowest rate however long I choose (that includes 3, 4, 5 or even 10 years).

What is his overall rating? What is his potential? What are his attributes? What were his stats?

There is a reason why he was left unsigned. And why he's willing to jump aboard signing a long term deal.

Try signing a veteran in the FA pool to just one year for whatever amount they want and see how well that works out.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

What is his overall rating? What is his potential? What are his attributes? What were his stats?

There is a reason why he was left unsigned. And why he's willing to jump aboard signing a long term deal.

Try signing a veteran in the FA pool to just one year for whatever amount they want and see how well that works out.

As I said, I could sign Jimmy Rollins for 4M a year for however many years I want.

The 26 year old was a 68 overall, B potential with 2 years of MLB time (however it appears he was on the bench).

[HozAndMoose]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

As I said, I could sign Jimmy Rollins for 4M a year for however many years I want.

The 26 year old was a 68 overall, B potential with 2 years of MLB time (however it appears he was on the bench).

Of course you could sign Jimmy Rollins for 4 mil for however long you want. He would jump all over that in real life.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

Of course you could sign Jimmy Rollins for 4 mil for however long you want. He would jump all over that in real life.

Lol I agree, bad example but I'm showing that it wasn't discriminate rookie or veteran.

[countryboy]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

Lol I agree, bad example but I'm showing that it wasn't discriminate rookie or veteran.

I interested in the answers to the questions I asked about the 26 year old.

[bigdaddykraven]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I interested in the answers to the questions I asked about the 26 year old.

I actually replied, you might have missed it:

The 26 year old was a 68 overall, B potential with 2 years of MLB time (however it appears he was on the bench).

I'll add some more too

Looking him up now, 3B - 62/66 Contact, 41/47 Power, 56 Vision 42 Disc (maybe that's it), 27 clutch 24 bunt 24 D Bunt, 71 Durability. He's an average fielder, his stuff is 57, 63, 60 and 54.

So no, he's nothing to write home about but given that he plays 1B, LF and RF he was a decent pickup for a bench option.

The last few seasons he's hit between .260 and .280 again most of that from the bench but looks like he got some start time the previous season as he is closer to 500 ab there. After my test I went back and signed him to a 1 year 500K deal but as I said, I could have locked him up for whatever.

I agree that isn't a great example but I just found a pitcher I evidently did this with (probably one of the first before I started realizing what happened and started testing).

27 years old, he's a 78 overall Starter. I won't go through all of his attributes but he's got great stamina and good (high 60s - 70s) on his attributes such as hitting and Ks. Last season he was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 160 Ks. He had agreed to a deal that would only pay him 750K a year for 10 years!

I can see how that would work out for him, but if I start and go 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA and my agent gets me a deal like that on the open market I'd fire the guy...unless I knew it was a fluke.

The thing is though, anyone on the FA come the start of spring, I can press left until I get their 1 year willing to sign price. Then I can press left again and go for 10 years at that price...or any other year at that price.

I guess it isn't really broken but if, like in past games, a team gets too many good prospects and needs to cut one, locking up a 60 overall early 20 something A potential guy for 10 years at league minimum is deal most GMs would JUMP on simply because you can leave him in the farm system if you want or just cut him and happily pay the couple million to let him walk.

Maybe I'm over thinking it or maybe I've played too much OOTP lately lol.

[johntait1]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

Hmmm, in my franchise I try to resign my players by the deadline and they don't accept huge deals for a little money. For example, Carlos Rondon rejected a ten year $70 million. Usually I just lock them up for one year because if I try longer deals they ask for a ton of money. By the time free agency is over all the players left in the pool are pretty terrible in my franchise, so I usually don't sign players after the period is over. During the free agency period players usually require a ton of money before signing unless its like a 35+ year old veteran; then they will take a short term deal for a smaller amount to play for a contender since they are going to regress pretty quickly. I'm playing without 30 team control and things don't seem too broken; if anything, I really like it.

[countryboy]

Re: Is Free Agency really this broken?

I actually replied, you might have missed it:

The 26 year old was a 68 overall, B potential with 2 years of MLB time (however it appears he was on the bench).

I'll add some more too

Looking him up now, 3B - 62/66 Contact, 41/47 Power, 56 Vision 42 Disc (maybe that's it), 27 clutch 24 bunt 24 D Bunt, 71 Durability. He's an average fielder, his stuff is 57, 63, 60 and 54.

So no, he's nothing to write home about but given that he plays 1B, LF and RF he was a decent pickup for a bench option.

The last few seasons he's hit between .260 and .280 again most of that from the bench but looks like he got some start time the previous season as he is closer to 500 ab there. After my test I went back and signed him to a 1 year 500K deal but as I said, I could have locked him up for whatever.

I agree that isn't a great example but I just found a pitcher I evidently did this with (probably one of the first before I started realizing what happened and started testing).

27 years old, he's a 78 overall Starter. I won't go through all of his attributes but he's got great stamina and good (high 60s - 70s) on his attributes such as hitting and Ks. Last season he was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 160 Ks. He had agreed to a deal that would only pay him 750K a year for 10 years!

I can see how that would work out for him, but if I start and go 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA and my agent gets me a deal like that on the open market I'd fire the guy...unless I knew it was a fluke.

The thing is though, anyone on the FA come the start of spring, I can press left until I get their 1 year willing to sign price. Then I can press left again and go for 10 years at that price...or any other year at that price.

I guess it isn't really broken but if, like in past games, a team gets too many good prospects and needs to cut one, locking up a 60 overall early 20 something A potential guy for 10 years at league minimum is deal most GMs would JUMP on simply because you can leave him in the farm system if you want or just cut him and happily pay the couple million to let him walk.

Maybe I'm over thinking it or maybe I've played too much OOTP lately lol.

my bad I didn't realize it was same player.

I still don't think its broken, but I understand what you're saying.