Quote:
Originally Posted by magicspeedo
I've done this many a times with many a team. The easiest way is to play with the Yankees because you start with a huge budget.
If you don't start with such a big market team, the trick is to sign your guys to contracts of about 12.3M for 2 or 3 years when they enter their 5th year in the league, but before their arbitration runs out and they start to demand huge $$$.
Then, once they have 1 year left on their contract, trade them for 2 or 3 top prospects (it's easiest to do it the day of the draft before you actually draft because you won't confuse guys who can't be traded due to draft rules).
Eventually you will build up a team like his. It might take years depending on how big your market is, but as I've said before, I've taken Milwaukee and won 20 WS in 30 years with them.
In this game, its about momentum from season to season in regards to developing prospects. So if your team sucks, it's hard to change that culture and you really have to hit on your top draft picks. The easiest way is to build your starting rotation, as I've said before. Build up at least 5 top quality SP and have 2 half developed guys in your bullpen. Then stash as many top SP prospects in your minors. Sometimes you have to package a few good SP to get a top SP, which you can afford if you have 5 or 6 quality starters with 2 guys that are 1 or 2 seasons from being fully developed and another 3 or 4 guys who are only minor league level. Plus it helps when you get hit with the injury bug 
Once you get to that point, you can really start bringing in the top fielding prospects because one top SP in the last year of his contract can get you 2 or 3 top fielding prospects alone, and you can throw in a 2 pitch MR to sweeten the deal if you have to. |
I just made a rookie mistake (I think !!!) with 2 position players who were a season away from getting Arbitration of $12M each
I traded them at the start of the season when maybe I should have waited until nearer the trade deadline to see whether I might have got a better deal
Got decents deals as far as I can see one LF who wasn't making the Team plus 2 MR from the Minors for a bench Infielder and an SP who will be great in 3 years, then a RF (again not on my main Roster) and a Minor Catcher for an SP who is already at 70 and could rise to 79
.. so will expect him to in the rotation within 1-2- years
...but though maybe I should have waited it out a bit
Maybe I was influenced by the additional $24M that would have hit my payroll in a year