Budgets on or off?

[Jr.]

I turn them off so I can be flexible with player movement throughout the league. I'll still do my best to keep each team under their budget, but if a team is making an unexpected run at the playoffs, it's nice to be able to get them a player without having to play budget gymnastics.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by adamjsav

So it looks like the tax varies from franchise to franchise. I have started a couple just to see with the OSFM rosters and I was around $203-204 million competitive balance threshold. On the franchise live stream Ramone did I think his threshold was $169 million. I have posted before asking for clarification but didn't receive any. For instance, factors that determine the threshold, if you edit contracts then start a franchise is this accounted for. And with the new threshold, does that put the CPU at a disadvantage signing free agents, if their calculations are based on a predetermined number. Adds to realism, but not if toying with it can cause some major upsets down the line.

Yes, it seems when contracts are edited, the threshold goes up. One of my frustrations is that last year, we could see the budgets of the rest of the league, but this year it seems that we cannot. I suppose that they're trying to add some realism by doing that, but honestly IRL, I imagine that the MLB front offices all have a decent understanding of how much room the others have to work with financially.

I'm playing every game through with my franchise, so I won't find out for a while, but I'm curious how much the budgets fluxuate after the season, and how much the goals other than wins and losses effect that.

[tabarnes19_SDS]

Quote: Originally Posted by adamjsav

So it looks like the tax varies from franchise to franchise. I have started a couple just to see with the OSFM rosters and I was around $203-204 million competitive balance threshold. On the franchise live stream Ramone did I think his threshold was $169 million. I have posted before asking for clarification but didn't receive any. For instance, factors that determine the threshold, if you edit contracts then start a franchise is this accounted for. And with the new threshold, does that put the CPU at a disadvantage signing free agents, if their calculations are based on a predetermined number. Adds to realism, but not if toying with it can cause some major upsets down the line.

I don't think the tax threshold is that big of a deal. Team budgets still go up 10-15% first year so teams have a lot of money in offseason.

I did see less trades throughout the sims I did. No "blockbuster" trades where the transaction alert came up in season.

I think it's a preference if you want real contracts. Only thing is in the offseason players that make 15 million real life, only make 8 in the show making them difficult to move and budget space get wider.

I would like to see in the future contracts be relative to the salaried in the league. So as salaries and budgets are up so are signings of players.

[adamjsav]

Quote: Originally Posted by tabarnes19

I don't think the tax threshold is that big of a deal. Team budgets still go up 10-15% first year so teams have a lot of money in offseason. I did see less trades throughout the sims I did. No "blockbuster" trades where the transaction alert came up in season. I think it's a preference if you want real contracts. Only thing is in the offseason players that make 15 million real life, only make 8 in the show making them difficult to move and budget space get wider. I would like to see in the future contracts be relative to the salaried in the league. So as salaries and budgets are up so are signings of players.

I think that is the point. A budget might increase 10-15%. But in the example contract you just gave, you're talking a 50% increase. Try doing that with the Dodgers.

I did a few sims and take the Dodgers for example. The tax threshold was $204mil and they were already paying luxury tax. You edit some of their contracts and come year two, three, four etc. you're screwed.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by adamjsav

I think that is the point. A budget might increase 10-15%. But in the example contract you just gave, you're talking a 50% increase. Try doing that with the Dodgers. I did a few sims and take the Dodgers for example. The tax threshold was $204mil and they were already paying luxury tax. You edit some of their contracts and come year two, three, four etc. you're screwed.

I think that watching teams get in trouble with huge, bad contracts, like Crawford on the Dodgers or Sandoval on the Red Sox, will be part of the fun, personally.

[chilidogbeefcake]

Started a franchise with budgets on..now I'm sketching cus I don't wanna get into then realize crap I shoulda turned them off

[adamjsav]

Quote: Originally Posted by Unlucky 13

I think that watching teams get in trouble with huge, bad contracts, like Crawford on the Dodgers or Sandoval on the Red Sox, will be part of the fun, personally.

Exactly though, so you've raised my other concern. Say you last to see some of those hefty contracts end. If the threshold has been pushed artificially higher because you were using real contracts, you then go to sign free agents you will have a tonne of space (after big contracts are gone).

And as the guy above said, the game, at times, makes contracts for it's players at or around a 50% discount. For example a $15mm IRL is an $8mm in the show. Once you bid on a free agent within the game, you've already artificially raised the threshold, have free agents coming off the books and are competing to sign free agents from the CPU that value contracts at about half the real life market rate.

I guess what my overarching concern is, is when playing with budgets, the threshold artificially raised and any edited contracts, it can have two drastic effects. 1. Ruin your franchise short term due to luxury tax demands. 2. Long Term - Because you will have a tonne of space you can outbid all other teams for any free agent.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by adamjsav

Exactly though, so you've raised my other concern. Say you last to see some of those hefty contracts end. If the threshold has been pushed artificially higher because you were using real contracts, you then go to sign free agents you will have a tonne of space (after big contracts are gone). And as the guy above said, the game, at times, makes contracts for it's players at or around a 50% discount. For example a $15mm IRL is an $8mm in the show. Once you bid on a free agent within the game, you've already artificially raised the threshold, have free agents coming off the books and are competing to sign free agents from the CPU that value contracts at about half the real life market rate. I guess what my overarching concern is, is when playing with budgets, the threshold artificially raised and any edited contracts, it can have two drastic effects. 1. Ruin your franchise short term due to luxury tax demands. 2. Long Term - Because you will have a tonne of space you can outbid all other teams for any free agent.

I understand the concerns. I'm very curious to see how it plays out for myself though. And in addition, I plan on playing every game of 2016 for this franchise, and then after doing the offseason activities, we'll see how I go through 2017. I expect that if things go really wonky, it won't happen for a few years, probably 2019 or later, and I may not get that far into things.

As for having too much budget space, playing as the Cubs, the game incorrectly has Jake Arrieta listed as a free agent after 2016 when he's actually got one more year left in arb. So that means that I'm going to have to really pony up to keep him around. He's currently feeling as if he's worth north of 25 mil per season on his motivation screen, which well, is pretty accurate.