Cutting "Prospects"

[Kasabian]

Hey guys,

What's your strategy for cutting prospects?

In my MLB game, 30 draft rounds, I tend to end up with a lot of players in Rookie ball. Do you cut guys after only one year at rookie bal since being draftedl if they don't perform and don't seem like they have a future?

Thanks!

[jmolony3]

Originally Posted by Kasabian

Hey guys,



What's your strategy for cutting prospects?



In my MLB game, 30 draft rounds, I tend to end up with a lot of players in Rookie ball. Do you cut guys after only one year at rookie bal since being draftedl if they don't perform and don't seem like they have a future?



Thanks!

I usually cut anyone the AI has left in the rookie league who is over 25 then jump a year in each successive level based on their potential and development. If they haven't developed or started to by 27 I drop them.


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[Trebro]

Originally Posted by Kasabian

Hey guys,

What's your strategy for cutting prospects?

In my MLB game, 30 draft rounds, I tend to end up with a lot of players in Rookie ball. Do you cut guys after only one year at rookie bal since being draftedl if they don't perform and don't seem like they have a future?

Thanks!

The last thing you want is a ton of people in rookie ball, since they won't develop. However, I do tend to have it be the largest roster, because I freely grab 22-year olds with few at bats to fill in if my higher level teams get hit with the injury bug.

Generally speaking, I go position-by-position at the end of the season, first doing my promotions from rookie to A (I don't usually use short-A in my fictionals.). Then from what's left, I look at depth. So I might keep 20 pitchers in rookie, 4 catchers, 2-3 of each infield, and 10-12 outfielders. If there are, say, 6 people who can only play first base, I look at who my manager is using. If a guy was signed at 18 and is now 21 and isn't getting used, I toss him aside. He might be amazing,but more likely, he's a scrub who needs to go back to school.

[Kasabian]

Thanks guys. Gonna get to cutting then!

[RchW]

They are not prospects if they are being cut. BTW I hope this means being released.

Not a fan of mixing sports terms.

[Curve Ball Dave]

I very rarely cut guys after a short season of Rookie ball. Almost all of those guys get a season at SSA. After that all bets are off. I cut guy when I determine they will not contribute at the MLB level and that can happen when they're in SSA, AAA, and every point in between.

[Kasabian]

Originally Posted by RchW

They are not prospects if they are being cut. BTW I hope this means being released.

Not a fan of mixing sports terms.

Filler*???

[Kasabian]

Originally Posted by Curve Ball Dave

I very rarely cut guys after a short season of Rookie ball. Almost all of those guys get a season at SSA. After that all bets are off. I cut guy when I determine they will not contribute at the MLB level and that can happen when they're in SSA, AAA, and every point in between.

Agreed. I had a lot of guys who had been at Rookie ball for a couple seasons and hadn't done much.

Sometimes I want guys to succeed at a level and leave them there too long. I think a more aggressive promotion mentality can help stop too many players piling up. You're forced to cut guys at higher levels who aren't performing to make room, and forced to promote guys to fill the vacated spots at lower levels.

[MrBojangles]

I also consider their BNN page and personality traits. If they have a low work ethic I tend to cut them more quickly than if they have a strong work ethic.

[ttaka808]

They've got to be at least 24 or have 0 potential before I cut them.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Kasabian

Hey guys,

What's your strategy for cutting prospects?

I personally do it with a chainsaw.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by jmolony3

I usually cut anyone the AI has left in the rookie league who is over 25 then jump a year in each successive level based on their potential and development. If they haven't developed or started to by 27 I drop them.

Up or out! I'll let them sit for a couple of years at rookie ball if my scout likes them, but once they get 21 or so they're gone (unless they're new draftees of course). I'm more ruthless up the ladder, even for most positions at AAA. Where the AI manager would move an older guy down from AA to Rookie, I cut him or try to trade him. Sometimes other teams realllllllly love some mediocre guy and he can be the difference in a trade, so don't forget that too.

[ThePretender]

If there's a bunch of 30-30-30 so specs of 40_40_40-40-40 type hitting specs from the draft they're instantly released. From there I usually remove older specs who aren't showing potential.

[NoOne]

Based on Low scouting accuracy and well-paid, well-rated scouts and decent budgets.

Batters: Contact Potential

Pitchers: mostly Control potential, but stuff/mov pot is important too.

If these ratings won't get high enough to be viable at AAA, i am quick to cut the fat from lower levels. i am a bit easier on skill positions like c/ss/cf.. filler is required in the minors... duplicates at each position are fine in rookie and lower levels. i have it set for potential to start over ability for that reason.

Also, like others noted, i look at age in rookie ball too.... 2, 3, 4 years in and they have lower potential ratings as described above will be cut before younger ones with those poor ratings.

i spend alot on minor league scouting.. if not, i'd look for stats that mismatch ratings in a positive way and still trust my scout on the ones rated well. decisions are tighter when scouting is very inaccurate. also, involve the OSA if you don't spend here.

[old fat bald guy]

I don't put as much time and effort into managing the minor-league system as some of you.

Here's my system: Promotions and demotions not involving the major-league club are delegated to the assistant GM. Minor-league managers are empowered to sign and release players, although I'll grab a guy off the free-agent list on a minor-league deal if he catches my scout's eye and looks good to me. This stuff can be done on the manager settings page.

After every season, everybody with half-star potential and everybody on a major-league contract with one-star potential gets released. This annually reduces the number of pitchers in my system to some ridiculously low number, but the minor-league managers take care of that and sometimes the guys they sign are not awful. A few of them have been September call-up/trade throw-in level guys. One is now a mediocre mainstay in the bullpen of the bad major-league team to which I traded him.

My rookie league roster is often bizarre. I don't sweat it. If there are 10 catchers and most of them aren't developing because they aren't playing, well, my rookie-league manager thinks they aren't good enough to win playing time in rookie league, so I don't think I'm losing much.

Placing some trust in the judgment of staff members makes the game feel more realistic and immersive to me.

[homerj]

Sure will cut a person after one year.

There's only so many spaces on a roster, if a newly drafted person is better than the one I drafted last year, then they get their walking papers.

[NoOne]

Originally Posted by old fat bald guy

I don't put as much time and effort into managing the minor-league system as some of you.

Here's my system: Promotions and demotions not involving the major-league club are delegated to the assistant GM. Minor-league managers are empowered to sign and release players, although I'll grab a guy off the free-agent list on a minor-league deal if he catches my scout's eye and looks good to me. This stuff can be done on the manager settings page.

After every season, everybody with half-star potential and everybody on a major-league contract with one-star potential gets released. This annually reduces the number of pitchers in my system to some ridiculously low number, but the minor-league managers take care of that and sometimes the guys they sign are not awful. A few of them have been September call-up/trade throw-in level guys. One is now a mediocre mainstay in the bullpen of the bad major-league team to which I traded him.

My rookie league roster is often bizarre. I don't sweat it. If there are 10 catchers and most of them aren't developing because they aren't playing, well, my rookie-league manager thinks they aren't good enough to win playing time in rookie league, so I don't think I'm losing much.

Placing some trust in the judgment of staff members makes the game feel more realistic and immersive to me.

A suggestion: you don't have to micro manage your minors to maximize your prospects. shortlist and lock to current league level only the "best" prospects that you care about. you will be better at promotions and demotions than the AI. maximize development on the highly rated ones you care about. the AI can handle the other 99% of your minors.

also,

even though you delegate alot of stuff, as i do, you should do the cutting 1/year. overall / potential don't always reflect the individual ratings accurately - especially if you use AI Eval with alot of stats invovled. so, the AI is going to make alot more mistakes. you'll do a better job of culling the herd and you will increase probability of surprises by keeping better players (less positive random talent changes required).

do it once a year in the offseason or once a year after amateur draft... i try to do all maintenace at the same time i place newly acquired kids. once setup for this method, it's very little work at any one time. initial setup will take longer.

sort by position and cut anyhting with contact/control potential ratings that can't get to AAA. let the MiL managers fill with FA or whaetver if you are low on players after that... you don't have to worry about that. it will fix itself.

i delegate signings, promos/demos, personnel signings, just about everything that has to do with the minors.... i selectively control various parts for a few specific players and a few situations.

work smart, not hard. anyone can work hard, it's not an advantage... being smarter about what you are doing than the next guy is a real advantage.

[slugger922cubs]

once every month or 2 (typically based on need) and during the offseason and after ST Ill go through and make organizational promotions and demotions. Typically i only like to move guys upwards. I typically release once a guy stalls and cant earn regular playing time or doesnt play well enough at the level he should be at. Occasionally a player will rise up and be younger than the level hes at. In that case if he struggles ill demote him because hes not ready. Ill also occasionally slot a bench-level filler type player a level or 2 down to fill depth issues. But otherwise i keep 90% of my player movement upwards cutting when they stall out and i cant see a pathway to MLB or get trade value. It can be hard sometimes we cut the wrong guys but its part of the game. Its what makes the game challenging and fun. Its definitely a harder game when you dont let yourself horde too many players. I dont find OOTP fun when its easy. I dont want to when every year. I find it much more rewarding to rebuild or build a system that can sustain my club.