Spring Training Invites - Page 2

Le Grande Orange · 02-08-2014, 06:54 PM

From my admittedly small sample examination, on average clubs have roughly 20 non-roster invitees at the start of spring training. However, most of those have no real shot at making the roster, and are just there to provide catchers for the many pitchers who tend to be on the 40-man roster.

The best way to see how non-roster as well as roster players fair during spring training is to examine the transactions made as spring training progresses. (You can find this info on MLB's web site.)

le receveur · 02-08-2014, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

From my admittedly small sample examination, on average clubs have roughly 20 non-roster invitees at the start of spring training. However, most of those have no real shot at making the roster, and are just there to provide catchers for the many pitchers who tend to be on the 40-man roster.

The best way to see how non-roster as well as roster players fair during spring training is to examine the transactions made as spring training progresses. (You can find this info on MLB's web site.)

also due to the schedule, where there is B-games, and because stars many times will not do the bus travel....

Le Grande Orange · 02-08-2014, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by le receveur

also due to the schedule, where there is B-games, and because stars many times will not do the bus travel....

There tends to be more split-squad games these days because there are 15 teams training in each region. When the split between Florida and Arizona had even numbers of teams split-squad games were less frequent.

hefalumps · 02-18-2014, 04:40 PM

I just wanted to voice my strong support of this as well.

I ran into this issue this past season when my #1 draft pick (who didn't get a ML contract) looked like he might be good enough to go straight to the show, but I wanted to see him play before putting him on the 40-man and guaranteeing a ML contract, starting the option/service time clock, etc. And I'm a cash-strapped team that can't afford to have somebody earning league minimum but not playing on the big league squad.

Being able to invite this guy to ST would've been ideal for me.

As for as implementation, I don't see it as an "alternative" for negotiating with free agents (i.e. a "Invite to Spring Training" option next to the "Offer Contract" option). I think that might get too confusing for the AI. You'd still need to offer the guy a minor, major, or minor with major league option contract to get him on your team. But once he's on your team...

What I envision is another box on your team's transactions screen where you can drag players who are NOT on your 40-man roster on to the "Spring Invites" box. Heck, since we already have a "Playoff Roster" box, we could have a "Spring Training Roster" box during ST that would automatically include everyone from your 40-man PLUS any other non-40 guys you wanted to drag onto the list. If they play well and you want them to go north with the squad, you have to add them to the 40-man roster. If not, they just stay with the minor league squad when Opening Day arrives.

My idea certainly isn't perfect, and there could be issues that would need to be considered (such as if the minor league season starts before the major league season does, what happens to those minor league players still on the ST roster?), but I would love, love, LOVE it if something like this makes it into OOTP15!

PSUColonel · 02-18-2014, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RchW

In real life most if not all MLB teams have a full 40 man roster. Those that don't may have 1 or 2 spots max.

If we generally have 33-35 players on the 40 man roster why not just sign all the guys that you would invite to ST to fill out the 40-man. Put another way if you are not filling up the 40-man roster asking for ST invites is not very realistic.

Perhaps ST invites should only be available when your 40-man roster is full, or say 38-40.

Or....have AI teams behave realistically, and fill out those spots...why would this not be your recommendation solution?

Sweed · 02-18-2014, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

Or....have AI teams behave realistically, and fill out those spots...why would this not be your recommendation solution?

Not speaking for RchW but the AI should only be putting players on the 40 man that are capable of helping the big league club or protecting from the rule 5 draft. It should not be filling it just to fill it.

Back when 40 man was added part of the "early release" of players problem was due to the AI filling it's 40 man roster with players it didn't need to have there. The AI's tendency to always fill the roster also was the cause of the AI putting recently drafted players onto the roster that had no business being there and starting their service time. Markus went back and tweaked the AI roster code so it would only put on players it needed instead of blindly filling all spots. This was a huge improvement and there is no need to go backwards.

Not to mention that you cannot draft in the rule 5 unless you have an open spot on your 40 man.

A good AI is an AI that only uses 40 man spots it needs to and right now, for the most part, the AI is doing a good job of that.

olivertheorem · 02-18-2014, 10:17 PM

Maybe tweak it so that it first fills only the spots it needs, then fills all but 0-2 that are left with AAA guys who are rule 5 eligible otherwise? Meaning, those guys who other teams probably aren't going to want if they go on waivers.

Sweed · 02-18-2014, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olivertheorem

Maybe tweak it so that it first fills only the spots it needs, then fills all but 0-2 that are left with AAA guys who are rule 5 eligible otherwise? Meaning, those guys who other teams probably aren't going to want if they go on waivers.

Personally I wouldn't make any change as the system now is working pretty well. I mean we're talking about adding more decisions for the AI to make, and those decisions are to add players it doesn't need right now just to fill up slots, so we can have more "realistic" spring invites?

I like the flexibility the AI has now, as well as the human player, and see no reason to start backtracking.

As far as that goes will the AI even be doing spring invites or will it end up being something just ends up giving the human player an advantage?

02-18-2014, 04:40 PM	#24
hefalumps All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,379	I just wanted to voice my strong support of this as well. I ran into this issue this past season when my #1 draft pick (who didn't get a ML contract) looked like he might be good enough to go straight to the show, but I wanted to see him play before putting him on the 40-man and guaranteeing a ML contract, starting the option/service time clock, etc. And I'm a cash-strapped team that can't afford to have somebody earning league minimum but not playing on the big league squad. Being able to invite this guy to ST would've been ideal for me. As for as implementation, I don't see it as an "alternative" for negotiating with free agents (i.e. a "Invite to Spring Training" option next to the "Offer Contract" option). I think that might get too confusing for the AI. You'd still need to offer the guy a minor, major, or minor with major league option contract to get him on your team. But once he's on your team... What I envision is another box on your team's transactions screen where you can drag players who are NOT on your 40-man roster on to the "Spring Invites" box. Heck, since we already have a "Playoff Roster" box, we could have a "Spring Training Roster" box during ST that would automatically include everyone from your 40-man PLUS any other non-40 guys you wanted to drag onto the list. If they play well and you want them to go north with the squad, you have to add them to the 40-man roster. If not, they just stay with the minor league squad when Opening Day arrives. My idea certainly isn't perfect, and there could be issues that would need to be considered (such as if the minor league season starts before the major league season does, what happens to those minor league players still on the ST roster?), but I would love, love, LOVE it if something like this makes it into OOTP15! Last edited by hefalumps; 02-18-2014 at 04:41 PM.

02-08-2014, 06:54 PM	#21
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,644	From my admittedly small sample examination, on average clubs have roughly 20 non-roster invitees at the start of spring training. However, most of those have no real shot at making the roster, and are just there to provide catchers for the many pitchers who tend to be on the 40-man roster. The best way to see how non-roster as well as roster players fair during spring training is to examine the transactions made as spring training progresses. (You can find this info on MLB's web site.)

02-18-2014, 10:17 PM	#27
olivertheorem All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,919	Maybe tweak it so that it first fills only the spots it needs, then fills all but 0-2 that are left with AAA guys who are rule 5 eligible otherwise? Meaning, those guys who other teams probably aren't going to want if they go on waivers.