Forward Thinking and Planning - Suggestions?

endgame · 05-01-2016, 06:25 PM

This could probably have been two or more separate threads, but the issue revolves around discipline and planning, so combining the first couple here.

Player acquired via trade goes to DFA and has no remaining options. Unless I do it right away or trigger a manager note, I'll occasionally have this player's DFA time run out, then be reminded he has to clear waivers if he's going to a minor league. Well, then I'm stuck. I have to release him or trade him off. Better way to avoid this occurence?
Rookie League roster size. May have painted myself into a corner. I'd become a bit time-frustrated with seeing the league pile up 100+ players and having to regularly sift through them, so I rather unsmartly it turns out set the roster limit to 50. Then realize my draft is 50 rounds, so every year I'll be forced to basically completely clean the house, as 50 more are coming in. I'm wondering now if settling on 100 might be practical for playing time (split well between P and H I hope) then it's basically still a yearly activity, but half of them will have a chance to survive the revolving door. Thoughts?

mitchkenn · 05-01-2016, 07:05 PM

i let my bottom minor league team be unlimited for all teams, but the team i am GM/manager of, i personally keep below 50, so the players could get playing time and a chance to develop. i don't have nearly as many rounds in my draft as you do, Only 15 to 20 usually. (i seem to change it yearly depending on how many players i have that aren't developing and how many are being dumped into an ever growing free agent pool.)

as far as your first point ... i've been there before, and simply try to get the best deal i can in a trade. If there's a better solution, it hasn't thumped me in the noggin' yet.

injury log · 05-01-2016, 07:24 PM

re point 1: free up a 25-man roster spot temporarily, add him to the 25-man, then put him back on waivers+DFA immediately. That is, if your original plan was to waive the player anyway.

dcd111 · 05-02-2016, 10:10 AM

I have made it a habit to deal with the DFA players immediately after the trade is completed, just to make sure I don't forget to do whatever I need to do. I allow myself no exceptions, I literally click directly to the rosters & transactions screen after clicking complete trade. But it's very rare that I trade for a player that has a major league contract and isn't going directly onto my major league roster that day, I guess I might be guilty of not paying enough attention to AAA depth sometimes.

I agree with injurylog on the suggested workaround, although I think it will use up an option on whoever you momentarily demote to free up active roster space.

As for roster limits and the draft, if 50 rounds is creating more players than you need to fill out your rookie league roster after retirements and releasing dead weight, that might be too many rounds. It's definitely more than I've ever used (I use 30-35), and I usually use a real-life minor league structure (with fictional players).

If you're concerned that a reduction in generated amateurs might reduce the number of high quality players being generated, you could keep generating the same number of rounds of amateurs as you are now, but reduce the number of draft rounds. It shouldn't bloat the free agent pool any more than you are now, you'll just have more non-drafted players and fewer released minor leaguers.

NoOne · 05-02-2016, 04:20 PM

not sure how you run into this first problem... either needed a space before the trade or immediately after to avoid the situation altogether. dump a bench player or 7th reliever that can be easily replaced at virtually any time (more so with the bench batter), etc... when you forget. or... just stop forgetting,

you already know the answer it seems: create a better habit.

50round amatuer draft might require roster limits... never had so many new players rcreated every year... i'd also be concerned about flat stats, based on how this game engine works, if it floods your league with a ton of high-end talent. e.g. players with 70+power could turn into low-20's home run players etc. and be very consistent about it because too many are amazing HR hitters (HR are anything but consistent results).

like mitch said, leave the lowest tier unlimited then i'd suggest 25-30 for AAA, 30-35 for A/AA... maybe 40 for Short A and lower if you have them and not the lowest tier of course. the higher the league, the clsoer to your MLB roster limit - whatever it is. helps cut the fat of lower-rated players as you get near the bigs.

definitely make sure the setting in Stats and AI section for EACH minor leauge is set to play potential as opposed to current ability - similar words not exactly as i wrote them. drop down box on left side of screen, only visible for minor leagues, not Major leauges.

that way, even if you have 50 players on a team, the best potential players will get playing time.

05-01-2016, 06:25 PM	#1
endgame Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 16,842	Forward Thinking and Planning - Suggestions? This could probably have been two or more separate threads, but the issue revolves around discipline and planning, so combining the first couple here. Player acquired via trade goes to DFA and has no remaining options. Unless I do it right away or trigger a manager note, I'll occasionally have this player's DFA time run out, then be reminded he has to clear waivers if he's going to a minor league. Well, then I'm stuck. I have to release him or trade him off. Better way to avoid this occurence? Rookie League roster size. May have painted myself into a corner. I'd become a bit time-frustrated with seeing the league pile up 100+ players and having to regularly sift through them, so I rather unsmartly it turns out set the roster limit to 50. Then realize my draft is 50 rounds, so every year I'll be forced to basically completely clean the house, as 50 more are coming in. I'm wondering now if settling on 100 might be practical for playing time (split well between P and H I hope) then it's basically still a yearly activity, but half of them will have a chance to survive the revolving door. Thoughts? __________________ "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." -- Samuel Beckett _____________________________________________

05-01-2016, 07:05 PM	#2
mitchkenn Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Oregon, not by design Posts: 2,872	i let my bottom minor league team be unlimited for all teams, but the team i am GM/manager of, i personally keep below 50, so the players could get playing time and a chance to develop. i don't have nearly as many rounds in my draft as you do, Only 15 to 20 usually. (i seem to change it yearly depending on how many players i have that aren't developing and how many are being dumped into an ever growing free agent pool.) as far as your first point ... i've been there before, and simply try to get the best deal i can in a trade. If there's a better solution, it hasn't thumped me in the noggin' yet. __________________ "This is my opening farewell " - Jackson Browne “They make a desolation and call it peace.” ― Agha Shahid Ali "Maybe she just has to sing, for the sake of the song - And who do I think that I am to decide that she's wrong." - Townes Van Zandt "I saw a young man leaning on his wooden crutch - He called out to me, 'Don't ask for so much' And a young woman leaning in her darkened door She cried out to me, 'Why not ask for more?' " - Leonard Cohen "Hello darkness, my old Friend ...." - Paul Simon Before Mays, before DiMaggio, there was Oscar Charleston. "All the lies about Babe Ruth are true." - Waite Hoyt Avatar is the late great Townes Van Zandt. rip.

05-02-2016, 04:20 PM	#5
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,246	not sure how you run into this first problem... either needed a space before the trade or immediately after to avoid the situation altogether. dump a bench player or 7th reliever that can be easily replaced at virtually any time (more so with the bench batter), etc... when you forget. or... just stop forgetting, you already know the answer it seems: create a better habit. 50round amatuer draft might require roster limits... never had so many new players rcreated every year... i'd also be concerned about flat stats, based on how this game engine works, if it floods your league with a ton of high-end talent. e.g. players with 70+power could turn into low-20's home run players etc. and be very consistent about it because too many are amazing HR hitters (HR are anything but consistent results). like mitch said, leave the lowest tier unlimited then i'd suggest 25-30 for AAA, 30-35 for A/AA... maybe 40 for Short A and lower if you have them and not the lowest tier of course. the higher the league, the clsoer to your MLB roster limit - whatever it is. helps cut the fat of lower-rated players as you get near the bigs. definitely make sure the setting in Stats and AI section for EACH minor leauge is set to play potential as opposed to current ability - similar words not exactly as i wrote them. drop down box on left side of screen, only visible for minor leagues, not Major leauges. that way, even if you have 50 players on a team, the best potential players will get playing time. Last edited by NoOne; 05-02-2016 at 04:31 PM.

05-01-2016, 07:24 PM	#3
injury log Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 9,162	re point 1: free up a 25-man roster spot temporarily, add him to the 25-man, then put him back on waivers+DFA immediately. That is, if your original plan was to waive the player anyway.

05-02-2016, 10:10 AM	#4
dcd111 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 131	I have made it a habit to deal with the DFA players immediately after the trade is completed, just to make sure I don't forget to do whatever I need to do. I allow myself no exceptions, I literally click directly to the rosters & transactions screen after clicking complete trade. But it's very rare that I trade for a player that has a major league contract and isn't going directly onto my major league roster that day, I guess I might be guilty of not paying enough attention to AAA depth sometimes. I agree with injurylog on the suggested workaround, although I think it will use up an option on whoever you momentarily demote to free up active roster space. As for roster limits and the draft, if 50 rounds is creating more players than you need to fill out your rookie league roster after retirements and releasing dead weight, that might be too many rounds. It's definitely more than I've ever used (I use 30-35), and I usually use a real-life minor league structure (with fictional players). If you're concerned that a reduction in generated amateurs might reduce the number of high quality players being generated, you could keep generating the same number of rounds of amateurs as you are now, but reduce the number of draft rounds. It shouldn't bloat the free agent pool any more than you are now, you'll just have more non-drafted players and fewer released minor leaguers.