Quote:
Originally Posted by yawgmoth
When you checked in later when was later? At what point in the year did he sign the extension might be a better question.
I have had bad experiences trying to sign extensions at the beginning of the off-season versus beginning of the season or even mid-season. I generally begin my negotiations for extensions in early May and try to have players signed/decisions made by the end of June. I haven't noticed the AI giving any less with regard to trade value if you trade someone away before the season or during that season.
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Yeah, I think the timing is the key. I was trying to sign him in November at the beginning of the off-season. I was thinking that if I wasn't going to be able to sign him, at least I could free up some budget space for possibly signing a free agent.
When I checked in on him it was already October, but a look at his history shows that he signed his extension with Kansas City in March! So that was quite a difference in signability between the beginning and end of the off-season.
So, that's good to know. If there was a Bundy Blunder, it was that I didn't wait and try again in March or during the season. It looks like I might have been able to get the job done then.
$14M would have still been beyond my budget for extensions, but I probably could have created enough room by dealing a less stellar player or two and by some mild back-loading of the contract.
So why is it that there is such a difference between the beginning and end of the offseason? His initial demands created the distinct (but mistaken) impression that I wouldn't be able to sign him at all and hence the trade.
But. Even so, I think he may have done me a favor. Yes, it's always nice to have a 10-WAR player on your team. And as ThePretender says, even 28M might have been worth it if budget isn't much of an issue. In my case though I have a mid-market team with budget and payroll that hovers around the middle of the pack year-after-year. 28M would have been almost 4 times what I was paying any other player. 14M, was probably worth it, but I'd still have to do some juggling down the line with the rest of the team to keep the finances under control.
As it is, I've got a probable 4-5 WAR player basically for free for a number of years, plus $14M of budget flexibility - that's probably good enough for two more 4-5 WAR players. I think I probably come out ahead on the deal...