Minor league affiliates

[Bobfather]

The first season I played OOTP and had 2 sets of minor league affiliates.
Now I only have the correct number of affiliates. Over the years I have been trading for draft picks and prospects, and my minors are getting bloated. Is there any way to add affiliates or loan players to foreign leagues?

[Curve Ball Dave]

You can add affiliates by editing the league structures of the minor leagues. That's kind of like buying bigger pants to cure obesity. The problem is you're hanging on to too many players that you need to release. They won't all make it to the Majors. You have to decide if a given player will ever contribute a the Major League level. If the answer is "no" it's time for him to find another career if another team doesn't pick him up.

[Buster Cherry]

You could do it if this was soccer. Just loan 'em out. There's this one particular team in England that's made a fortune over the years doing that.

[kingusc]

Originally Posted by Curve Ball Dave

You can add affiliates by editing the league structures of the minor leagues. That's kind of like buying bigger pants to cure obesity. The problem is you're hanging on to too many players that you need to release. They won't all make it to the Majors. You have to decide if a given player will ever contribute a the Major League level. If the answer is "no" it's time for him to find another career if another team doesn't pick him up.

Hey Dave --

I'm struggling with this issue too. Do you mind sharing your general theory on releasing players - how soon is too soon? What is your thought process on releasing players? I could use some advice if you have time.

- Fat Dave (size 38 and growing with the mortal certainty that I will, in fact, cure my obesity.)

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by kingusc

Hey Dave --

I'm struggling with this issue too. Do you mind sharing your general theory on releasing players - how soon is too soon? What is your thought process on releasing players? I could use some advice if you have time.

Every player in your minor league system is different. The time to release him is when you conclude he will not contribute at the big league level. This can come at any time. Some guys are gone after a half season of Rookie ball, other guys get released after a couple of seasons at AAA, others are released at all points in between. I release guys from Rookie ball because I know another draft class is coming, I release guys from the other levels because I have another team a level below it full of guys who can be promoted to take a released player's spot. If I don't have a guy worth a darn to promote I can sign a minor league free agent to take the spot. That's also how it works in real life. Higher draft picks get a little more leeway because there's money invested him them. I tend to give pitchers every chance before I give up on them.

OOTP does an excellent job of modeling player development. It can be unpredictable as it should. Sometimes you stick with a guy and he pans out. Sometimes you release him and he blossoms with another team. Some guys are drafted because you need a warm body at that position and he turns out to be a top prospect and a solid contributor at the Major League level. Some high draft picks turn out to be minor league roster filler.

Managing signing and releasing minor league players takes time and effort (I let the managers handle the lineups for the most part), there is no sure fire set formula or short cut. I check my minor league system at least once every two weeks of simulated time. I know some posters on this forum don't like to deal with the minors like this, I love it. It's part of the challenge.

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by Curve Ball Dave

Every player in your minor league system is different. The time to release him is when you conclude he will not contribute at the big league level. This can come at any time. Some guys are gone after a half season of Rookie ball, other guys get released after a couple of seasons at AAA, others are released at all points in between. I release guys from Rookie ball because I know another draft class is coming, I release guys from the other levels because I have another team a level below it full of guys who can be promoted to take a released player's spot. If I don't have a guy worth a darn to promote I can sign a minor league free agent to take the spot. That's also how it works in real life. Higher draft picks get a little more leeway because there's money invested him them. I tend to give pitchers every chance before I give up on them.

OOTP does an excellent job of modeling player development. It can be unpredictable as it should. Sometimes you stick with a guy and he pans out. Sometimes you release him and he blossoms with another team. Some guys are drafted because you need a warm body at that position and he turns out to be a top prospect and a solid contributor at the Major League level. Some high draft picks turn out to be minor league roster filler.

Managing signing and releasing minor league players takes time and effort (I let the managers handle the lineups for the most part), there is no sure fire set formula or short cut. I check my minor league system at least once every two weeks of simulated time. I know some posters on this forum don't like to deal with the minors like this, I love it. It's part of the challenge.

I second all of this, every single word.

When I first started playing OOTP seriously about 6-7 years ago, I used to hang on to every minor leaguer until he was in his mid-20s. Now I'm willing to cut guys less than a year after drafting them. And a large portion of the guys in my international complex never even make it to rookie league because they just can't play. I'd rather sign a free agent to fill a roster spot than have way too many players than I know what to do with. My only complaint with that process is that minor league free agents should sign immediately, not wait 2-3 days to decide on an offer.