I also seem to be the only one who cant get the AI to make a fair trade with me regardless of setting. The AI gets ridiculous sometimes. To get a player, it seems it wants at least 2 players of equal or greater value.
MY general ritual with trades is at first try to make a trade, if the AI is in "one of its moods" and gets contrarian. I will think hard would these teams realisitcally make such a trade. If the answer is yes, then time for the comish. (and like I said when using the comish I try to make sure the trades would realistically be made, I dont do it to cheat*)
*well, except one time, when I felt the AI's offer was being "insulting" in an offer it made......for about 6 days straight........by a team that was battling me for a WC spot. Not proud of it, but neither of us made the playoffs as it turned out.