Help extending contracts

MM13 · 10-13-2002, 09:35 AM

The last two seasons, I've lost my star players either through free agency or trade. I tried to resign both while they were on my team and the player got mad and said I had my chance and he was going to play somewhere else. The first player filed for free agency and signed with another team for LESS than what I offered to extend him for. Afraid of the same thing happening with my second player, I dealt him for two prospects. When I checked out his contract with his new team, He had again signed for LESS per year with a year longer contract. During our negotiations, he wanted more money, but was happy with the years. Anyone else have trouble with this? What do you do to solve it?

Steve Kuffrey · 10-13-2002, 10:28 AM

Give more years or money whichever is needed. That is part of the challenge of the game, hard decisions sometimes.

JAttractive · 10-13-2002, 11:40 AM

Depending on the player I usually take what they are asking, reduce it by about 10-20% (it can vary much wider though) and extend the length of the contract by a year or two. If they say no I keep the years the same but increase the money. If by my third attempt (2nd if it is a super star) they still haven't signed I often take their original asking price and years and even add in a hundred thousand or so just in case. Their really is no definitive plan you can give but just keep in mind that many players will cut you off after the third attempt so tread carefully.

Some other tips:
1. If they are listed as loyal I find they will often take less money.
2. Minimal loyalty guys I wouldn't risk haggling with too much if you really need/want them.
3. Really young guys often don't want long contracts.
4. If a guy has been consistent and seldom gets injured (ie. not prone) you may want to try for the 4-6 year contracts and hopefully reduce their asking price significantly. The more years the less they usually want.
5. Sometimes I find it is better to approach a player once or twice, get a feel for them and then back off for a month or so and re-try things. If you ask too many times in one negotiation I find they are more likely to cut you off but this only from personal experience and I could be wrong about that.
6. If a guy won't sign initially with your club try again in a month or so. Sometimes they change their minds.
7. If you REALLY want a guy and he has cut you off from negotiations sometimes you can blow them away with a huge one year contract (or perhaps a 1-3 year) and get them to sign even though they are saying you have no chance. My favourite pitcher was going to leave my team one year and I couldn't let that happen so I offered him 18.5 million for one year and he stayed. The next year I got him to sign a 4 year, 9 million dollar contract.

MM13 · 10-13-2002, 11:51 AM

The problem I have is that when they asked for more money, I gave it to them. I was offering $7.5 mill over 4 years and he wanted more money. When I checked to see the contract he signed with another team, it was 6 years at 6.85 mill. So, when he was asking for more money he actually wanted more years. The other player was the same way as he got less money and more years from the other team even though his talks with me involved him wanting more money. It's one thing if a player wants $10 million and you're offering 8, it's another if he says he wants more money, yet takes less to sign with another team.

MM13 · 10-13-2002, 11:53 AM

One more thing: In both of the negotiations, neither player told me what they wanted specifically (i.e. $7 mill over 4 years.) Both of them asked to hear my offer first.

JAttractive · 10-13-2002, 12:10 PM

Don't take everything they say literally. Sometimes they WILL say they want more years and that tends to be more accurate but when they say they want more money I usually just take it as "I want a better contract". So you still could have signed them at 4 years but apparently you still weren't offering enough money for a contract of that length. You were likely very close though based on the other contract they took and I wouldn't doubt if you had of tried 7.5 and 5 years or 8 mill and 4 years they would have taken it from the start.

When they ask to hear an offer first it does make things much more difficult for you. Try to find players with similar ratings and scouting text reports (very important that you go by these versus statistics) and offer similar contracts to what they have signed. At the very least it will give you a ballpark figure of what to offer.

10-13-2002, 09:35 AM	#1
MM13 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 23	Help extending contracts The last two seasons, I've lost my star players either through free agency or trade. I tried to resign both while they were on my team and the player got mad and said I had my chance and he was going to play somewhere else. The first player filed for free agency and signed with another team for LESS than what I offered to extend him for. Afraid of the same thing happening with my second player, I dealt him for two prospects. When I checked out his contract with his new team, He had again signed for LESS per year with a year longer contract. During our negotiations, he wanted more money, but was happy with the years. Anyone else have trouble with this? What do you do to solve it?

10-13-2002, 10:28 AM	#2
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,036	Give more years or money whichever is needed. That is part of the challenge of the game, hard decisions sometimes. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

10-13-2002, 11:40 AM	#3
JAttractive All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 1,135	Depending on the player I usually take what they are asking, reduce it by about 10-20% (it can vary much wider though) and extend the length of the contract by a year or two. If they say no I keep the years the same but increase the money. If by my third attempt (2nd if it is a super star) they still haven't signed I often take their original asking price and years and even add in a hundred thousand or so just in case. Their really is no definitive plan you can give but just keep in mind that many players will cut you off after the third attempt so tread carefully. Some other tips: 1. If they are listed as loyal I find they will often take less money. 2. Minimal loyalty guys I wouldn't risk haggling with too much if you really need/want them. 3. Really young guys often don't want long contracts. 4. If a guy has been consistent and seldom gets injured (ie. not prone) you may want to try for the 4-6 year contracts and hopefully reduce their asking price significantly. The more years the less they usually want. 5. Sometimes I find it is better to approach a player once or twice, get a feel for them and then back off for a month or so and re-try things. If you ask too many times in one negotiation I find they are more likely to cut you off but this only from personal experience and I could be wrong about that. 6. If a guy won't sign initially with your club try again in a month or so. Sometimes they change their minds. 7. If you REALLY want a guy and he has cut you off from negotiations sometimes you can blow them away with a huge one year contract (or perhaps a 1-3 year) and get them to sign even though they are saying you have no chance. My favourite pitcher was going to leave my team one year and I couldn't let that happen so I offered him 18.5 million for one year and he stayed. The next year I got him to sign a 4 year, 9 million dollar contract.

10-13-2002, 11:51 AM	#4
MM13 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 23	The problem I have is that when they asked for more money, I gave it to them. I was offering $7.5 mill over 4 years and he wanted more money. When I checked to see the contract he signed with another team, it was 6 years at 6.85 mill. So, when he was asking for more money he actually wanted more years. The other player was the same way as he got less money and more years from the other team even though his talks with me involved him wanting more money. It's one thing if a player wants $10 million and you're offering 8, it's another if he says he wants more money, yet takes less to sign with another team.

10-13-2002, 11:53 AM	#5
MM13 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 23	One more thing: In both of the negotiations, neither player told me what they wanted specifically (i.e. $7 mill over 4 years.) Both of them asked to hear my offer first.

10-13-2002, 12:10 PM	#6
JAttractive All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 1,135	Don't take everything they say literally. Sometimes they WILL say they want more years and that tends to be more accurate but when they say they want more money I usually just take it as "I want a better contract". So you still could have signed them at 4 years but apparently you still weren't offering enough money for a contract of that length. You were likely very close though based on the other contract they took and I wouldn't doubt if you had of tried 7.5 and 5 years or 8 mill and 4 years they would have taken it from the start. When they ask to hear an offer first it does make things much more difficult for you. Try to find players with similar ratings and scouting text reports (very important that you go by these versus statistics) and offer similar contracts to what they have signed. At the very least it will give you a ballpark figure of what to offer.