For MLB saves, I start by immediately firing every coach in my entire system that has traits that do not align with my goals. From there I spend a lot of time filling the roles at each level with coaches that do align with my goals.
Next, I immediately create shortlists for things I care about (in no particular order):
- Pitching Prospects
- Position Prospects
- Extension Candidates
- Draft Picks
- FA Signings
- Watch List
I keep a list of my draft picks and FA signings for my own edification to understand how I'm doing from a drafting and signing standpoint. The draft list also gives me a rough idea of how my player development is working out.
Then I comb through all the players in my system, shortlisting any that meet the above categories, position/level locking players I want to control, writing down weak/strong spots, etc. There's a lot more to this, but I can't remember since I haven't started a new save in over a year, but this should give you an idea. I'm planning to start a new MLB save soon, so I'll try to track if I do anything different this go around.
I should add, I keep a spiral notebook for my saves that tend to fill up pretty quickly. Between OOTP and FM, I go through a lot of notebooks
