Financials - yes or no
 

I will be setting up a Random Debut Historical League starting in 1946 using neutralized stats and throwing in a few players from Negro Leagues etc. I will play in commissioner mode.

Financials - not sure of any significant pros and cons. It seems to me at this point it might be best to leave them out. I'm a stats guy and I don't see how they would add much to the game. Any thoughts?

Note: Re-post as it got buried elsewhere.

I like using financials just to watch salaries and attendance change over time. For me it is a personal preference and part of my background. I have never thought of what they add to the game because I just watch and wonder in commissioner mode, don’t take on a team when I create a random debut league.

When setting it up do you just use the game defaults?

Yes and there is a check box that moves the financials every year but if you change the strategy setting to different year it will change the to the strategy year.
After updating the strategy go back to financials tab and reset the year everything should be fine; learn this one after I messed it up a few times.

It's been some time since I tried a league with financials off. One thing I remember from the past though is, often when a player got released with financials off, he was basically finished. So, even if another team could use the player, he would sit unsigned Again it's been a long time, so this may have changed.

Keep in mind that you can always use the reserve clause and financials become much less of big deal. But, the good thing is AI teams will sign players.

One drawback of the reserve clause and I bet it may rear its ugly head in a league without financials as well is, the player that just won't retire. You get a Miguel Cabrera sitting on a teams roster, often times the 25 man roster, your years, but never playing. The end of the season comes and you think okay, he's done, but when the next season begins there he is again doing nothing. Guys don't often do this when you use free agency because the AI teams won't sign them and therefore they retire.

I love the reserve clause, but hate force retiring folks. I have done league with free agency that doesn't kick in till a player reaches 15 years playing time. I've also used 12 years. This does a lot to relieve the no retire issue.

My current league started in 1947 and I'm using small cities like Shreveport, Biloxi, Jackson etc. I froze financial in 1947. I use free agency, but pay other than signings, I pay very little to no attention to the money aspect of the game. It's just there.

David Watts, facing these same issues with the same preferences, I now try this: financials off. 3 minor leagues with 15 man roster limits. Age ranges for the 3 minors at: 17-25 for A with 8 year pro service. 18-29 with10 year service for AA. 21-35 with no service limit for AAA. Adds an element of ztrategy. Then, each season I hold a 1 or 2 round Free Agent draft. Then I retire any that didn't get drafted.