VT,
Sorry for taking so long to respond to this thread.
Well, what a mess, eh?

I suppose the first thing I should ask is, were you ever able to get this straightened out? Was there any difference once 1.0.2 was released?
I can definitively answer #3. The reason there is no spring training in imported leagues is because imported leagues must be on Opening Day when imported. This means you've already been through spring training pre-import. However, imported games begin with a 1/1 date. To avoid the players getting 2 spring trainings, there is no spring training in the first year of an imported league.
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks,
Steve