Guide to a successful offseason...

[Scribe1980]

Figured I'd post this here instead of starting new thread:

Go figure -- based on some of horror stories I've read here b4 starting my offseason -- but I experienced the flip side if you will and it was stupidly easy, much to my shock.

Won the WS in 7 over LAA with the Phillies. Had budget of 16 mil. Let go some guys to free up more room, but here was the shock: I was able to sign every single one of my targets - Morse, Zobrist, Ryan Madson, Colby Lewis, with budget room to spare.

I come here not to brag but to ask if anyone else breezed thru their offseasons (I play all 162 and it took forever). I wonder if winning the WS made it easier or more inviting for these guys to sign with me. I really expected to get shot down a few times (and I did with some coaching hire targets).

I play all-star level. Thx.

[Threeebs]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scribe1980

Figured I'd post this here instead of starting new thread:

Quote: Originally Posted by Scribe1980

Go figure -- based on some of horror stories I've read here b4 starting my offseason -- but I experienced the flip side if you will and it was stupidly easy, much to my shock. Won the WS in 7 over LAA with the Phillies. Had budget of 16 mil. Let go some guys to free up more room, but here was the shock: I was able to sign every single one of my targets - Morse, Zobrist, Ryan Madson, Colby Lewis, with budget room to spare. I come here not to brag but to ask if anyone else breezed thru their offseasons (I play all 162 and it took forever). I wonder if winning the WS made it easier or more inviting for these guys to sign with me. I really expected to get shot down a few times (and I did with some coaching hire targets). I play all-star level. Thx.

As soon as I figured out the structure of the offseason, I too found it to be very easy to get through. I never, ever worry about what my budget will look like and depending on what my budget is, I target the right free agents for my price range. Once you do a couple you get a feel for things like who you need to let walk, who you can actually afford to re-sign, when it's actually a good time to target a big ticket free agent, etc. I like how strict the new model is but if they could have made it clear of what you can actually spend, people wouldn't be griping about how hard it is. I'm sure with the PS4 and the whack load of extra memory coming with it, that'll be changed...

[kbusch22]

Yeah I screwed the pooch in my offseason. I can't sign anybody even remotely decent. I have a bunch of players who are arbitration eligible and I would love to trade away some of them but I can't because they technically have no contract. Most of them want too much money for multi-year deals so I guess I'll have to try trading them in February and hope I can piece together a decent offseason.

[andrew87]

thank you for info

[rjackson]

Anybody have arbitration advice? What I'm really looking for is you can see they are asking for X amount which is sometimes outlandish--how do you determine what to offer them that you might actually win?

[Scribe1980]

Quote: Originally Posted by rjackson

Anybody have arbitration advice? What I'm really looking for is you can see they are asking for X amount which is sometimes outlandish--how do you determine what to offer them that you might actually win?

FWIW, I had 4 arb eligible guys, all with current salaries of 600K or less. I offered a bump of between 50 and 75K per and won all four. There's a % margin in there somewhere with each, but I've already started a second season & the details are lost to time.

I do know you can't come in at current or lowball with 10 or 20K raise, no matter how bad a season player had. You will almost always lose. Stats become basically irrelevant. And if a player was bad, just don't offer. Let him go.

[ShowTyme15]

With 30 Team control what is the recommendation with ignore budgets. Should I have it on or off?

[deckofcards77]

Playing on budget ignore, how would you keep it reslistic???