Missing players from historical teams

[rink23]

I was attempting to put together a "Best of the 2000s" League featuring one representative from each team based on their regular-season record.
My plan was to manage, the St. Louis Cardinals.
But when I looked at their roster they were missing at least six players. They were replaced from what it looks like are fictional players.
The missing position players are Larry Walker, Marlon Anderson, Roger Cedeno, Hector Luna and Yadier Molina.
Walker was the only starter of that group. He was acquired in season from the Rockies.
Also absent are relief pitchers Dan Haren and Jason Simontacchi.
I would guess that there will be missing players on all 30 teams, which kind of defeats making the effort of doing the league in the first place.

[Brad K]

You're getting the beginning of the season rosters.

[Rain King]

You mention Larry Walker coming over in a trade, so I assume you have created a Historical save for the 2004 season?

I am seeing all of those players you mentioned when I do the same (with Walker being on the Rockies).

Make sure to check the Reserve roster for some of these players.

[rink23]

On a deeper dive, as someone noted, I am getting the rosters from the start of the season.
Also, I found many of the missing players are down somewhere in the minor league system.
However, those missing players on the opening day roster are being replaced by totally fictional players -- one that do not exist in the Pro Baseball Reference database -- not the players they would ultimately replace.
There was no Tommy O'Keefe, Brian Washington, Pat Baldini or Pedro Pineda in the Cardinals system or any place in MLB in 2004.
Also, players like the 2004 version Larry Walker, who the Cardinals acquired from Colorado in-season, is on the Rockies roster.

[Rain King]

Can you provide any details about your Setup/Creation process?

You must have some setting that is allowing for the creation of fictional players.

There are potential settings/options that could allow this through either the draft or free agency.

[rink23]

Custom game.
Selection option for MLB 2023 season.
Click switch to historical teams.
Then fill in with the teams I want in the league.
I selected a representative for each MLB from 2000-2022 based on their best regular-season record. Ties were broken by how far they advanced in the postseason.
One tie (Atlanta) was broken by run differential.
Sorry for the Tampa Bay blowout, but you get the drift.

[Rain King]

Ah, so you are not setting up a Historical season.

So, yeah, you likely have settings that are creating new fictional players as you progress and allowing teams to sign them.

A couple to check:

League Settings --> Rules --> Amateur Draft Settings --> "Disable automatic creation of free agents and fictional draft class".

League Settings --> Players --> Here there are 4 settings determining the rate of various types of players that can be generated. (i.e. "Generate Interantional Established Free Agents")

[LansdowneSt]

In League Settings>Rules there ought to also be an option to block fictional players from reaching the majors (in case you missed something somewhere). It's on the left-hand side, very bottom.

[rink23]

The only available options under minor league settings are:
- enable option years
- Disable right to refuse minor league assignment
- Allow incomplete minor league rosters (ghost players).
I don't think I can pull this off without have to manually going in and switching out the ghost players on the MLB rosters for their minor league counterparts or creating missing players altogether.

[LansdowneSt]

It's also in the Set-up screen (see screenshot).

If the game is on-going you need to be in the MLB (not Minors) League Settings>Rules on the left-hand side, very bottom.