Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

[Mosier77]

I'm doing a franchise with the Reds and at the deadline I was determined to move Brandon Phillips and Johnny Cueto. Trading Phillips went as expected, but trading Cueto was ridiculous.

Any trade that would have netted me a good young prospect or two was impossible to bridge the budget gap, and any trade that worked budget-wise netted me no prospects and made no sense for the team getting Cueto becuase they were giving up valuable veteran players for their post-season push. For example: with the Nats I had to take Gio Gonzales in return to make the budget work, with Red Sox I had to take Hanley, with the Mets I had to take Wright, etc.

In the end the only trade that was even remotely realistic was with the Cubs, in my own damn division, but I had no choice really. I spent hours trying to find other realistic trades and couldnt.

Anyone else trying to rebuild find that the budgets are way to strict and make getting young talent impossible? Contending teams never have qualms about adding salary at the deadline.

[Gosens6]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

The franchise mode in this series has a LONG way to go. While theyve made some improvements this year, they really need to do a full rebuild of this mode to get it up to par. Things like this, along with the unrealistic ai trades, awful stat tracking, no ability to offer in season contract extensions, and, after 8+ years of play, cpu generated pictures are dominating the league because of the subpar progression system, offense is almost rendered obsolete.

Also to your point, I never see the ai pull off trades that involve prospects for established players . It's always 1 for 1

In its current state, it's pretty much a waste to play franchise mode.

[Mosier77]

The franchise mode in this series has a LONG way to go. While theyve made some improvements this year, they really need to do a full rebuild of this mode to get it up to par. Things like this, along with the unrealistic ai trades, awful stat tracking, no ability to offer in season contract extensions, and, after 8+ years of play, cpu generated pictures are dominating the league because of the subpar progression system, offense is almost rendered obsolete.

Also to your point, I never see the ai pull off trades that involve prospects for established players . It's always 1 for 1

In its current state, it's pretty much a waste to play franchise mode.

I still very much enjoy franchise mode, but there are a few things absent that are inexcusable:

1. In season extensions
2. Expanding budgets for playoff bound teams making a deadline push
3. AI trades are so bad I turn them off
4. No international signing market. That would be a fun addition.

[johntait1]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

They should just add in a real owner mode with a working economic system like Madden. Madden is inferior to this game in pretty much every single way, but you can actually turn off the salary cap in Madden and just pay your players by how much money you make from tickets, food, merchandise, etc. Since that it how the MLB budget actually works, they really need to add it in the game.

[Mosier77]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

They should just add in a real owner mode with a working economic system like Madden. Madden is inferior to this game in pretty much every single way, but you can actually turn off the salary cap in Madden and just pay your players by how much money you make from tickets, food, merchandise, etc. Since that it how the MLB budget actually works, they really need to add it in the game.

They should at the very least have "Dynamic" or "Smart" budgets. Right now the only option to ignore the budget or use a hard budget. A "Dynamic/Smart Budget" system could give you and offseason budget, then adjust mid season based on performance.

For example: My Reds budget is $130 million. It could be a $130 million offseason budget but if I'm in first place near the deadline I could receive a budget increase to $145 million. Conversely if I'm out of it I could get a message stating that the owner would like to shed some payroll if possible.

[rjackson]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

When you start a new franchise, the game takes a teams current players salaries, adds them up, and then adds about $10MM to come up with the budget. I think that is the source of the problem when dealing with a Cueto and his salary.


If you are using 30 team control, you could force the trade through or even spend some stubs to increase the team's overall budget to squeeze Cueto in. Hope this helps.

[tabarnes19_SDS]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

The cpu used to be able to take on extra salary and go over budget during the season.

[Heroesandvillains]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

The cpu used to be able to take on extra salary and go over budget during the season.

Has that changed?

[ktd1976]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

Another thing, if you are using 30 team control, you can go in and add sponsorships for teams that are in contention to give a bit of an increase to their budget.

This would kind of make it realistic, as you said, some teams in contention do get "budget increases" to go out and acquire a player.

Basically, at around June 1st, see what teams are in contention, and assign them sponsorships. Depending on what sponsorships you have available, or assign these teams, it could give a marginal budget increase, upwards of an extra Million or two. Not a whole lot, but it could be the difference between being able to acquire a player or not.

[tabarnes19_SDS]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

Has that changed?

I honestly don't know. I haven't looked into that yet. I haven't seen a whole lot of dumping vets this year. Not sure if the rebuilding and playoff push is really triggering roster movement.

Teams in rebuild mode aren't putting those players on the trade block and players on the block seem to be who gets traded.

But most vets that would be traded, in game make 10 million or less.(where there is room in the budget) The superstars in their prime are the 20 million guys and they get traded in package deals.

[BA2929]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

Another thing, if you are using 30 team control, you can go in and add sponsorships for teams that are in contention to give a bit of an increase to their budget.

This would kind of make it realistic, as you said, some teams in contention do get "budget increases" to go out and acquire a player.

Basically, at around June 1st, see what teams are in contention, and assign them sponsorships. Depending on what sponsorships you have available, or assign these teams, it could give a marginal budget increase, upwards of an extra Million or two. Not a whole lot, but it could be the difference between being able to acquire a player or not.

I think one of the main issues is that we have to control 30 freaking teams to make the franchise budgets and trades work realistically.

This shouldn't be the case.

I want to control the Royals and only the Royals and have the CPU teams do things at least semi-realistically.

/rant

[Chuck_D84]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

If you are using 30 team control, why not just turn ignore budgets on when starting your franchise, then keep a budget in mind when making deals for realism?

[ktd1976]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

I think one of the main issues is that we have to control 30 freaking teams to make the franchise budgets and trades work realistically.

This shouldn't be the case.

I want to control the Royals and only the Royals and have the CPU teams do things at least semi-realistically.

/rant

I know It isn't ideal. But, with 30 team control, you can be as active with the other 29 teams, or leave them completely alone with "AUTO" settings, and do nothing for them. But, at least this way, if something whacky and unrealistic happens, you can fix it.

[HolyStroke3]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

If you are using 30 team control, you could force the trade through.

How do you do this??

EDIT: can you force trades that exceed a team's budget? If so, how?

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Budgets Make Deadline Deals Unrealistic

I wish they would get rid of "budgets" and use payroll or something. It seems like the budgets hold franchise mode back a bit. Almost every team is w/in 8-10 million of their budget. That or maybe stop making every team have generic budgets. Bigger market teams should have much bigger budgets.

It is difficult to dump salary in this game due to this reason.