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]

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

[bronxbombers21325]

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]

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigdaddykraven

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

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]

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]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigdaddykraven

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.