[jmknpk2]

Do you ever try to pad (artificially increase or lower) the stats of players?

I do.

If there is a pitcher I am planning on trading, I will only start him against teams with a weak lineup, or only pitch a reliever against the bottom of the order. Boosts his stats and he appears more valuable (even sometimes to other human managers). I will bat a fielder against only weak pitchers. And I will pitch or bat only against the most favorable right/left match ups, somewhat artificially bolstering overall stats.

If there is a player I want to try to bid on in open free agency instead of with an extension, I'll do the opposite. Use him against only tough opponents to lower his stats (and hopefully competing offers from other teams). Sometimes also, for a player coming into arbitration.

I have seen human managers in an online league change the position of a top notch defensive shortstop to "1B", hoping other human managers overlook his defensive value. Or change the position of a great starting pitcher to reliever. Such players do not seem as desirable and aren't as highly sought after in free agency when their position is altered.

Or, vice-versa for a player a team plans to trade. They change the position of a "1B" to "SS", even if his defense is horrible. Or change a two pitch reliever with stamina of 20/100 to "SP". Some human managers might overlook and not study the details of his ratings. I try to be more careful, myself, studying every detail of all players involved before finalizing a trade.

I don't remember using those position change strategies against human managers yet in an online league. Not sure it seems gentlemanly.

But one season, when OOTP was going through a significant change in engine internals with a version upgrade, I hoarded a bunch of mediocre minor leaguers, in the hopes the new engine would turn them into better players. Got called out and caught. Changed my ways. Truly was trying to "game" the situation unfairly.