Contract extensions for pre-arb players

[pfholden]

Anyone else noticed a change this year in contract extensions for pre-arbitration players? The asking prices are way low compared to previous version of the game and compared to real life. Granted, you'll always have a Jon Singleton or Ozzie Albies who signs for way cheap early on, but in my current O's rebuild, I am able to lock up 3 key pieces for way cheap in early 2021.


Rutschman 7 years/$17.3m
Mountcastle 6 years/$12m
Hays 6 years $17m


If one of these guys signed cheap, I wouldn't have thought twice. But the fact that all three were willing to, with Rutschman being a top prospect and Hays being a top-100, seems off. Just curious if anyone else has noticed this difference in 21 and if there's a tweak to fix it.

[USF]

My online league uses a house rule to prevent multi-year contract extensions until a player reaches 4 years of service. A one year contract extension to avoid arbitration is allowed. This house rule is for all the GMs in the league but, when you are playing solo you will have to decide what liberties you take here vs computer controlled teams.

[MBarrett]

Originally Posted by USF

My online league uses a house rule to prevent multi-year contract extensions until a player reaches 4 years of service. A one year contract extension to avoid arbitration is allowed. This house rule is for all the GMs in the league but, when you are playing solo you will have to decide what liberties you take here vs computer controlled teams.

Yeah this is pretty standard in most online leagues.

[CBeisbol]

Sounds like a problem in the game has been identified

[pfholden]

Originally Posted by USF

My online league uses a house rule to prevent multi-year contract extensions until a player reaches 4 years of service. A one year contract extension to avoid arbitration is allowed. This house rule is for all the GMs in the league but, when you are playing solo you will have to decide what liberties you take here vs computer controlled teams.

Yeah, that makes sense, as do a lot of the rules in the online leagues. But, even if they weren't perfect before, the contract extensions this year for pre-arb players are much different than before. While I've been able to get good deals in other versions, like OOTP 20, they were much closer to deals guys like Eloy or Acuna signed in real life than these deals I'm seeing available to me in 21.

[lencombs]

I don't extend guys until they are arbitration eligible in solo play.

[pfholden]

Originally Posted by lencombs

I don't extend guys until they are arbitration eligible in solo play.

That makes sense, especially given how different the pre-arb extensions are in 21.



Do you know how to revert a guy back to his auto-renew and arb contract? I know in player editor how to edit the contract, but now sure how to transfer it back to just a regular pre-arb contract with all the years of team control and fluctuating arbitration years included.

[thklein]

I never negotiate multi-year extensions with pre-arb players, and I only do it with arb eligible players if they suggest it when I open the contract negotiation page.

[Raynor21]

Ouch, I thought this was a valid strategy for low budget teams. I've locked guys into 5 year contracts for sub 10 mil a year.

[Pedro]

I also thought it was a valid strategy as in my experience it has been pretty rare - for example I had one player in last year's game (four seasons played) and one player in this year's so far (25 games played so I'll have to wait and see) who accepted (5 year I think) deals at about 4m p.a.



The players involved were not superstars by any means - Seth Beer last year and Jacob Nix this.

[pfholden]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I also thought it was a valid strategy as in my experience it has been pretty rare - for example I had one player in last year's game (four seasons played) and one player in this year's so far (25 games played so I'll have to wait and see) who accepted (5 year I think) deals at about 4m p.a.



The players involved were not superstars by any means - Seth Beer last year and Jacob Nix this.

I think it has been a reasonable strategy in previous seasons because the contracts were still reasonable. Example: In OOTP 20 I locked up a top 100 prospect in his first MLB year but his free agent years cost me $15+m and his arbitration years got to over $10m too.



It seems something has changed in OOTP 21 and the strategy now seems unrealistic. A shame, as I generally play with small market teams.

[ChrisJNelson]

Originally Posted by Raynor21

Ouch, I thought this was a valid strategy for low budget teams. I've locked guys into 5 year contracts for sub 10 mil a year.

It's a good strategy for you, but it's certainly not realistic. Practically no player is going to have free agency years bought out for cheap, unless they have zero confidence in their ability or progression.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by pfholden

I think it has been a reasonable strategy in previous seasons because the contracts were still reasonable. Example: In OOTP 20 I locked up a top 100 prospect in his first MLB year but his free agent years cost me $15+m and his arbitration years got to over $10m too.



It seems something has changed in OOTP 21 and the strategy now seems unrealistic. A shame, as I generally play with small market teams.

I'll have to keep an eye on it, thanks for the heads-up.

[Mike D]

I go with the Cubs motto, don't extend players who come up through the system, and then cry poor when the leave. Works everytime

[SirMichaelJordan]

If you think its a bug then its best to report it...

The only way it will get fixed if need be.