Just because Franchise Hockey and Out of the Park are under the same umbrella doesn't mean they get the same budget. Baseball is a massively popular sport compared to Hockey, especially in the US. Therefore, it's quite likely Out of the Park has always sold quite well compared to Franchise Hockey.
That said I agree with most of what you said, though I usually see sufficient hit and shot block numbers when compared to real life numbers. Is Make Trade Work buggy or just not producing the results you want? I do agree the AI is really tough when it comes to trades. I typically don't make trades though, as I have no problems building great teams from Free Agency, Waivers, and the Draft.
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