So.. I have played OOTP 19 for a while, and with the help of KB (thanks KB) i have really enjoyed simming and stat-watching. I have focused more on minors and independent leagues so far, and really have not kept up with transactions, trades, etc. Being a stat-nerd i mainly have just studied that aspect until recently...
I decided this time i wanted to be only a Manager for a team. Set lineups, rotations, etc... and let the CPU be my GM. Having never tried this, i was looking forward to at least a fairly believable/realistic experience as far as roster moves go. I always wanted to do this with The Show, but i was never happy with the AI there. That being said, here is what i am experiencing on OOTP 19, and i wanted to get some thoughts from you guys on it, and whether i could change anything to make this experience better. Or maybe tell me i am just overthinking it or being too picky...
I decided i wanted to take over a lowly 2019 Rangers team, and see what i could accomplish. And I looked forward to see what the GM would give me to work with, and even looked forward to disagreeing with some GM moves.
I decided to sim 2018 to get to 2019 before i took over. Rangers lost Choo in a trade, Beltre to retirement, Cole Hamels is also gone. Along with a few minor leaguers, they ended up with Hernan Perez as a backup 3B/LF and Jose Iglesias at 3B (had outside influence on this one. Neither CPU or myself chose this particular move..long story..) They also added Trevor Rosenthal to the bullpen. So far i am happy.
I take over the Rangers in 2019 before Spring while there are still quite a few Free Agents left on the table. I looked for the GM to maybe add another piece or two somewhere. I secretly longed for Nelson Cruz lol but i didn't see this as a wise, or probable move, given my team should be in rebuilding mode, around all these young players.
Here is my lineup, before i took over as manager..
Delino Deshields CF
Elvis Andrus SS (Drew Robinson/Isaiah Kiner-Falefa)
Nomar Mazara RF
Joey Gallo LF
Ronald Guzman 1B
Robinson Chirinos C (No decent backup)
Rougned Odor 2B
Jose Iglesias 3B
Willie Calhoun/Hernan Perez DH/OF
Rotation
Mike Minor
Matt Moore
Martin Perez
Edinson Volquez (maybe)
Yohander Mendez (maybe)
Bullpen stayed intact and is solid.
Here is what happened after i took over as Manager, which was not long before Spring Training... (i use 20-80 scouting)...
With many teams signing Free Agents to minor league contracts-
-Rangers also signed cather free agent Chris Gimenez to a minor league deal, among other less-noteworthy deals. I am happy. I needed a decent backup.
-Rangers sign free agent SP Charlie Morton (39 OVR) to minor league deal with major league $1.1 M. He had a 3.95 ERA in 2018. Ok...solid Veteran guy to help the rotation. Seems like he wouldn't need a minor league contract. But he is 35, so ok...
-Rangers sign free agent 35 year old Joe Mauer 1 year $1M... not sure about this one. I like Joe but... why? I have a good young 1B (Guzman) with 55 power/55 contact 60 defense, (38 Overall but 51 Potential) He hit .325 in the minors in 2018 with 27 HR. Maybe the GM wants Joe to DH... starting to wonder...
-Rangers sign free agent Nelson Cruz - 1 year $10.3 Million deal...(there went the Mauer DH idea) But i don't love it. Red flags are starting to go off. The odds of getting Cruz seemed really low to me, not to mention the $ for a non-contending team. Is the CPU focusing on making the Rangers win now, simply because i am controlling them?
-Rangers sign free ageng SP Bryan Mitchell - 1 yr $8.6 Million.
Ok... he is a 50 Ovr/50 Pot. Yes he is not an "Ace" but He is 27 and did have a 3.17 ERA in 2018. But...why? Why "my" team to spend almost $9M, when it seems that many contending teams should outbid a rebuilding team like the Rangers. Yes, this would make him the highest rated pitcher on my staff.. But i am starting to think the CPU is showing me favoritism and wants me as manager to win now... this seems an unlikely and unnecessary move...
- Rangers aquire LF Yoenis Cespedes in a trade with the Mets for 28 year old minor league RP Tyler Wagner (28 Potential) and 20 year old minor league prospect CF Leody Taveras (20 Ovr/63 Potential).... What??
Cespedes hit .317 with 20 HR in 2018. This is a move i could see if we were in the thick of things in July...and i had an injury on the team. LF is Gallo's, because 3B is taken. 1B is taken. DH is taken...I just dont get this move at all. And it seems to confirm all the red flags i have had over my first month of taking over as manager...
The CPU GM seems to be piling players onto my team, and mine alone. No other trades have happened since i became manager. I am already not having fun. I like a realistic challenge. But, not whatever is going on here.
Here are the only other 'Major Transactions' in MLB over that time span. (The Cespedes trade took place on March 15, which is where i still sit):
-Twins sign SP Kyle Gibson - 1 year $2M
-Pirates sign SS Jordy Mercer - 1 year $1M
-Brewers sign Doug Fister - 1 year $1M
Out of 7 'Major Transactions' this spring, the "rebuilding" Rangers have 4 of them, after i took over as Manager.
The Rangers have spent $20 Million out of an MLB-wide total $24 Million in Free Agent deals on Major League contracts this Spring.
And...if we add Cespedes' yearly $29M+ (for 3 more years) to that, that is approximately $50 million the Rangers have spent on veterans this spring from the beginning of camp thru 18 games since i took over as manager, while almost everyone else seems to be standing pat, except mostly minor league contracts to free agents. That just doesn't seem right at all.
The new potential lineup...
Elvis Andrus SS
Nomar Mazara RF
Yoenis Cespedes LF
Nelson Cruz DH
Joey Gallo CF
Joe Mauer 1B
Rougned Odor 2B
Robinson Chirinos C
Jose Iglesias 3B
Bench
Deshields CF
Hernan Perez 3B/LF
Ronald Guzman 1B
Minors
Willie Calhoun LF (Its time for him to be in the big leagues. 58 overall/ 65 potential. He hit .349 with 44 HR in minors in 2018)
I apologize for this post being so long... but i wanted some feedback from you guys. I may even post on OOTP as well. I just want to know what is happening here. Why does the CPU GM AI seem to have almost all of its focus on "my" team? My fun meter has gone from Full to Nearly Empty in a whopping 18 games of Spring. Yes, i could be excited about the offensive output potential this team will have...But this sort of defeats the purpose of what i thought OOTP was about. Where am i going wrong? A setting i missed? Or in my own mind?
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