Bench Players & Shuttling

the54effect · 06-09-2016, 02:12 PM

I'm in my third season and have really struggled to utilize my bench. I play as the Yankees and I gutted my team and got young in a hurry. As it stands I have starters at every position, two catchers, two first basemen, two third basemen, a utility infielder and a utility outfielder.

I platoon the catchers, first basemen, and third basemen (as well as rotate them at DH) but almost never find at bats for the utility players. They're solely pinch runners in late innings, defensive replacements, and injury replacements. One of my third basemen is a mediocre defensive option, and the other can flex over to second, or be a yellow option at short or left, so that's where my one infielder gets his appearances.

My outfielder has mostly just come in to run or if a guy gets banged up.

Both players have less than thirty plate appearances in mid July. As such their ratings and potential have both dwindled. Neither were studs, but both were 1.5 star players with 3 or 3.5 potential ratings. I suppose this can be expected from rust or whatever- there's a reason blue chip prospects stay in AAA rather than riding the bench in the show.

ANYWAY this was the long way around to this question: Would anyone recommend that a better way to utilize the last couple bench spots (that wont get a lot of play) is to shuttle AAA guys back and forth every week or two, bringing someone up to fill a roster spot and then get them back to the lineup? Has anyone done that and avoided killing a guy's upside by stagnation?

Or am I just burning options at that point and it's better to just find some one star speed/defense veterans to sit on the bench all year?

OR should I be doing a better job of getting my studs rest days? I've found that young batters rarely get below 90% with the built in off days, and can easily play 155+ games a year, barring injury. Does it pay dividends to limit most of my guys to 140-something games a year? I missed the playoffs year one, and then won 109 games year two only to go down in five in the ALDS. Even though the players don't show any fatigue, does anyone think there might be some hidden rating where a few extra days off might benefit a player in October?

Any discernible downgrade for a durable player going into the 170's and 180's for games on a season?

I'm not trying to Cal Ripken anybody, it just never seems like a guy NEEDS to more than a few days off in a season. Maybe if they get cold for a few games, or go hitless for a couple games I'll consider more play for my suboptimal bench options. IF SOMEBODY ELSE THINKS SO.

ohiodevil · 06-09-2016, 03:37 PM

What is your Fatigue setting? I set mine to the highest (High or Very High, can't remember what it is off top of my head) so it forces me to utilize my bench. I have found that this setting will get my starters (barring injury) between 550 and 600 PA and forces me to find serviceable bench players.

What I tend to do is depending on what position(s) they can play, I like to have at the very least one guy in his mid to late 30s on the bench that I can use in that utility role and not worry about his ratings and maybe get him 150-200 ABs a season. In the past I had gone with a veteran middle IF who can get by at 3b and a veteran guy that has at least an average rating in CF still who I am ok playing in LF and RF if necessary...unless I find (or teach in Spring Training) a guy that can play both IF and OF

I play as the Indians and currently I have Michael Martinez filling that spot as he can play all positions except catcher and 1b. He currently has played in 60 games (32 starts) and his batting around .260 with a couple homers and around 15 RBIs, but mainly he is there to play when my starters are tired or pinch run for my slower guys. By doing this, I have been able to bring up prospects that are close to being ready for the show (Naquin, Zimmer, Urshela) on my terms and take a look at them in 2 or 3 games a week and then send them down so they play every day if they have not shown me they are ready to stay in Cleveland full time.

I don't like to shuttle players and I have a house rule in place that if I send someone down, I cannot recall them for 10 days unless there is an injury and I have to put someone on the DL.

the54effect · 06-09-2016, 06:13 PM

I have not tinkered with the fatigue options, but I think I will set them higher to make the game more challenging!

I've found it fairly easy to find glove/speed guys that can cover multiple positions, and have them spend time in spring training and the minors getting experience all over the diamond. I just... I feel bad that I'm basically wasting guy's careers in my fake universe by having them get less than 100 at bats in a full season. My utility outfielder has twice been bypassed for my top prospect when a starter went down, and I intend to take the prospect with me on the playoff roster, barring injury.

I JUST CAN'T MAN UP AND FACE THE GUY IN THE CLUBHOUSE AND TELL HIM 'YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO BE MORE THAN A BIT PLAYER ON MY TEAM.' I'm going to give him a half million more than he asks for to make up for his wasted youth.

Number4 · 06-09-2016, 10:10 PM

I give my bench guys at bats in low leverage situations, meaning my team up or down by several runs near the end of the game. Lowers injury risk for your best players, keeps your bench active in case they'll need to step up. That for me is more than enough to compensate the occasional 4 run rally.

BigRed75 · 06-09-2016, 11:02 PM

Well, the Yankees in particular have a proud history of shuttling players between the Bronx and AAA...

The Columbus Shuttle

markvacc1 · 06-11-2016, 11:33 PM

I've been looking for fatigue settings and can't seem to find it. Where do I need to look or do you only get to set it when first starting a league?

BigRed75 · 06-11-2016, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the54effect

Or am I just burning options at that point and it's better to just find some one star speed/defense veterans to sit on the bench all year?

You may already know this, and if so, I apologize for repeating what you already know. But it's important to remember that an option lasts for an entire season. Once you use an option, you can promote/send down a player as many times as you feel necessary in that season (it could mess with his morale, though).

It doesn't mean you can promote a guy only three times in his career and then have to expose him to waivers whenever you want to send him down again.

ohiodevil · 06-11-2016, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markvacc1

I've been looking for fatigue settings and can't seem to find it. Where do I need to look or do you only get to set it when first starting a league?

When you load your league, click the Game button, then under Game Settings, select the Players & Facegen tab and it will be the third option down on the left.

markvacc1 · 06-12-2016, 01:21 PM

Thanks!

the54effect · 06-13-2016, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRed75

You may already know this, and if so, I apologize for repeating what you already know. But it's important to remember that an option lasts for an entire season. Once you use an option, you can promote/send down a player as many times as you feel necessary in that season (it could mess with his morale, though).

It doesn't mean you can promote a guy only three times in his career and then have to expose him to waivers whenever you want to send him down again.

Thanks- I did know that, I meant more in terms of, rather than only using player options if I have injuries, having multiple minor leaguers coming up. So where I might have had two bench players sitting all the time I have four or five guys that are all getting optioned back and forth through the years.

I do play as the Yankees and I'm aware of the shuttle tradition; I think it's what I'm gonna end up doing more next year, so I don't have anyone on the ML roster getting ~50 plate appearances in a year and just pinch running and playing late inning defense.

I'll find a bunch of guys on the 40 man sitting in AAA, a couple utility outfielders, couple utility infielders, cycle through them spending a few weeks in the Show, mostly on the bench, and then going back to the minors and pulling another guy up instead. So I'll have more guys getting their option years burned each season.

06-09-2016, 02:12 PM	#1
the54effect Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2016 Location: New York Posts: 109	Bench Players & Shuttling I'm in my third season and have really struggled to utilize my bench. I play as the Yankees and I gutted my team and got young in a hurry. As it stands I have starters at every position, two catchers, two first basemen, two third basemen, a utility infielder and a utility outfielder. I platoon the catchers, first basemen, and third basemen (as well as rotate them at DH) but almost never find at bats for the utility players. They're solely pinch runners in late innings, defensive replacements, and injury replacements. One of my third basemen is a mediocre defensive option, and the other can flex over to second, or be a yellow option at short or left, so that's where my one infielder gets his appearances. My outfielder has mostly just come in to run or if a guy gets banged up. Both players have less than thirty plate appearances in mid July. As such their ratings and potential have both dwindled. Neither were studs, but both were 1.5 star players with 3 or 3.5 potential ratings. I suppose this can be expected from rust or whatever- there's a reason blue chip prospects stay in AAA rather than riding the bench in the show. ANYWAY this was the long way around to this question: Would anyone recommend that a better way to utilize the last couple bench spots (that wont get a lot of play) is to shuttle AAA guys back and forth every week or two, bringing someone up to fill a roster spot and then get them back to the lineup? Has anyone done that and avoided killing a guy's upside by stagnation? Or am I just burning options at that point and it's better to just find some one star speed/defense veterans to sit on the bench all year? OR should I be doing a better job of getting my studs rest days? I've found that young batters rarely get below 90% with the built in off days, and can easily play 155+ games a year, barring injury. Does it pay dividends to limit most of my guys to 140-something games a year? I missed the playoffs year one, and then won 109 games year two only to go down in five in the ALDS. Even though the players don't show any fatigue, does anyone think there might be some hidden rating where a few extra days off might benefit a player in October? Any discernible downgrade for a durable player going into the 170's and 180's for games on a season? I'm not trying to Cal Ripken anybody, it just never seems like a guy NEEDS to more than a few days off in a season. Maybe if they get cold for a few games, or go hitless for a couple games I'll consider more play for my suboptimal bench options. IF SOMEBODY ELSE THINKS SO.

06-09-2016, 03:37 PM	#2
ohiodevil OOTP Roster Team Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Rocky River, Ohio Posts: 2,427	What is your Fatigue setting? I set mine to the highest (High or Very High, can't remember what it is off top of my head) so it forces me to utilize my bench. I have found that this setting will get my starters (barring injury) between 550 and 600 PA and forces me to find serviceable bench players. What I tend to do is depending on what position(s) they can play, I like to have at the very least one guy in his mid to late 30s on the bench that I can use in that utility role and not worry about his ratings and maybe get him 150-200 ABs a season. In the past I had gone with a veteran middle IF who can get by at 3b and a veteran guy that has at least an average rating in CF still who I am ok playing in LF and RF if necessary...unless I find (or teach in Spring Training) a guy that can play both IF and OF I play as the Indians and currently I have Michael Martinez filling that spot as he can play all positions except catcher and 1b. He currently has played in 60 games (32 starts) and his batting around .260 with a couple homers and around 15 RBIs, but mainly he is there to play when my starters are tired or pinch run for my slower guys. By doing this, I have been able to bring up prospects that are close to being ready for the show (Naquin, Zimmer, Urshela) on my terms and take a look at them in 2 or 3 games a week and then send them down so they play every day if they have not shown me they are ready to stay in Cleveland full time. I don't like to shuttle players and I have a house rule in place that if I send someone down, I cannot recall them for 10 days unless there is an injury and I have to put someone on the DL. Last edited by ohiodevil; 06-09-2016 at 03:58 PM.

06-09-2016, 10:10 PM	#4
Number4 Major Leagues Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 460	I give my bench guys at bats in low leverage situations, meaning my team up or down by several runs near the end of the game. Lowers injury risk for your best players, keeps your bench active in case they'll need to step up. That for me is more than enough to compensate the occasional 4 run rally. __________________ "Odor is now 2 for 5 today" (Commentator, after Rougned Odor, up to then 1 for 4, punched Jose Bautista square in the face.)

06-09-2016, 11:02 PM	#5
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,430	Well, the Yankees in particular have a proud history of shuttling players between the Bronx and AAA... The Columbus Shuttle __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

06-09-2016, 06:13 PM	#3
the54effect Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2016 Location: New York Posts: 109	I have not tinkered with the fatigue options, but I think I will set them higher to make the game more challenging! I've found it fairly easy to find glove/speed guys that can cover multiple positions, and have them spend time in spring training and the minors getting experience all over the diamond. I just... I feel bad that I'm basically wasting guy's careers in my fake universe by having them get less than 100 at bats in a full season. My utility outfielder has twice been bypassed for my top prospect when a starter went down, and I intend to take the prospect with me on the playoff roster, barring injury. I JUST CAN'T MAN UP AND FACE THE GUY IN THE CLUBHOUSE AND TELL HIM 'YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO BE MORE THAN A BIT PLAYER ON MY TEAM.' I'm going to give him a half million more than he asks for to make up for his wasted youth.

06-11-2016, 11:33 PM	#6
markvacc1 Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 62	I've been looking for fatigue settings and can't seem to find it. Where do I need to look or do you only get to set it when first starting a league?

06-12-2016, 01:21 PM	#9
markvacc1 Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 62	Thanks!