Expansion Draft: Advice on Protecting Players

ALB123 · 10-13-2020, 11:37 PM

Hey guys... I'm going to be encountering my very first Expansion Draft in OOTP. We just finished the 1992 season and that means Colorado and Miami are coming.

I am looking for advice on how you would protect your players in this situation when using the default Financials for the year. My initial thoughts are that I don't need to protect guys on my team like Barry Bonds who is making $4.2M per season with 6 years left on his contract. In fact, I'm currently thinking I probably don't need to protect anyone in my organization who's making over $1,000,000 per season. I'm assuming that the expansion teams could never afford to pay a player that type of money considering they need to build a complete 40-man roster.

Would you agree with that? Or am I wrong? Would you still protect the guys closer to slightly more than $1,000,000 per season? I think I have 10 players making $1,000,000/year or more and 5 of those players are making $1,500,000/year or more.

Also, OOTP defaulted to allowing me to protect 15 Players and anyone under 3 years of professional experience is automatically protected. No team is allowed to lose more than 3 players. Is that realistic for the 1993 Expansion Draft? Would you change anything?

Big thanks to all who offer advice...especially about my first questions.

1991Twins · 10-13-2020, 11:48 PM

From previous experience, the computer AI will select a talent like Bonds. Many times, in previous versions, they seem to go after the higher end contract guys. I would protect based on talent not based on contract. Computer expansion teams will try to stockpile talent and not really worry or care about cost until later.

When I play expansion leagues, I usually go with protection settings of 18 players, anyone under 4 years of professional experience is automatically protected, and no team is allowed to lose more than 4 players. I choose 18 because in a default expansion draft in real life, you could protect 15 players. However, after a player is selected, you can pull 3 more players back. Then, after a second player is selected, you can once again protect 3 more players. Since OOTP does not allow this, I split the difference between protecting 15 players (your 1st player taken) and 21 players (your last player taken) to get 18. Now you might be wondering why I would then have 4 players be allowed to be lost per team. This is because I want the expansion teams to have a few more players in their minor league system since they did not get to participate in a draft like in real life. Also, by having more players originally protected, it makes it harder for an expansion team to be immediately good which I find more realistic.

Fun Fact: If you had started your league in 1992 or 1996/1997, you actually CAN keep the real minors guys affiliated to their team by unchecking the box that allows other teams to purchase players in those specific leagues. The players then stay on their true to life minor league team. Turn off historic minors before the season ends and let the league expand. You will get random minor league teams AND the real major league teams. On the 1st day of the offseason (when the fake minor league teams are populated), go to the minor leagues and affiliate the minor league teams with the correct major league teams. Then, turn back on historic minors and advance a day and all of those players are linked to the real teams. Like magic, the fictional minor league teams vanish altogether as if they never existed. The best perk of all is that when pulled off, it is like the newly formed expansion teams have been drafting all along in the amateur draft in preparation of their 1st season.

CBeisbol · 10-14-2020, 12:07 AM

I just did that draft and agree with most of what 1991twins just said.

I went with the default settings for the draft and kind of wish I had freed up more players to be eligible. I didn't even protect my full 15.

I also feel like the teams drafted more established major league players than young players. Even when those players were in the final year of their contact

ALB123 · 10-14-2020, 02:42 AM

Thanks a lot! I didn't realize that the Expansion Draft is (in-game) tomorrow. I just completed this year's 1st year Amateur Draft, which wasn't all that exciting. Anyway, I am so glad I asked this question because I would have left some huge talent unprotected. LOL

Thanks again... Hopefully, I won't be back in a few minutes crying my eyes out like a baby.

10-13-2020, 11:37 PM	#1
ALB123 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 638	Expansion Draft: Advice on Protecting Players Hey guys... I'm going to be encountering my very first Expansion Draft in OOTP. We just finished the 1992 season and that means Colorado and Miami are coming. I am looking for advice on how you would protect your players in this situation when using the default Financials for the year. My initial thoughts are that I don't need to protect guys on my team like Barry Bonds who is making $4.2M per season with 6 years left on his contract. In fact, I'm currently thinking I probably don't need to protect anyone in my organization who's making over $1,000,000 per season. I'm assuming that the expansion teams could never afford to pay a player that type of money considering they need to build a complete 40-man roster. Would you agree with that? Or am I wrong? Would you still protect the guys closer to slightly more than $1,000,000 per season? I think I have 10 players making $1,000,000/year or more and 5 of those players are making $1,500,000/year or more. Also, OOTP defaulted to allowing me to protect 15 Players and anyone under 3 years of professional experience is automatically protected. No team is allowed to lose more than 3 players. Is that realistic for the 1993 Expansion Draft? Would you change anything? Big thanks to all who offer advice...especially about my first questions. __________________ "I'm on the side that's always lost against the side of Heaven. I'm on the side of snake-eyes tossed against the side of seven" - Leonard Cohen "The Captain" Last edited by ALB123; 10-13-2020 at 11:40 PM.

10-13-2020, 11:48 PM	#2
1991Twins All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2019 Posts: 500	From previous experience, the computer AI will select a talent like Bonds. Many times, in previous versions, they seem to go after the higher end contract guys. I would protect based on talent not based on contract. Computer expansion teams will try to stockpile talent and not really worry or care about cost until later. When I play expansion leagues, I usually go with protection settings of 18 players, anyone under 4 years of professional experience is automatically protected, and no team is allowed to lose more than 4 players. I choose 18 because in a default expansion draft in real life, you could protect 15 players. However, after a player is selected, you can pull 3 more players back. Then, after a second player is selected, you can once again protect 3 more players. Since OOTP does not allow this, I split the difference between protecting 15 players (your 1st player taken) and 21 players (your last player taken) to get 18. Now you might be wondering why I would then have 4 players be allowed to be lost per team. This is because I want the expansion teams to have a few more players in their minor league system since they did not get to participate in a draft like in real life. Also, by having more players originally protected, it makes it harder for an expansion team to be immediately good which I find more realistic. Fun Fact: If you had started your league in 1992 or 1996/1997, you actually CAN keep the real minors guys affiliated to their team by unchecking the box that allows other teams to purchase players in those specific leagues. The players then stay on their true to life minor league team. Turn off historic minors before the season ends and let the league expand. You will get random minor league teams AND the real major league teams. On the 1st day of the offseason (when the fake minor league teams are populated), go to the minor leagues and affiliate the minor league teams with the correct major league teams. Then, turn back on historic minors and advance a day and all of those players are linked to the real teams. Like magic, the fictional minor league teams vanish altogether as if they never existed. The best perk of all is that when pulled off, it is like the newly formed expansion teams have been drafting all along in the amateur draft in preparation of their 1st season. Last edited by 1991Twins; 10-14-2020 at 12:13 AM.

10-14-2020, 02:42 AM	#4
ALB123 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 638	Thanks a lot! I didn't realize that the Expansion Draft is (in-game) tomorrow. I just completed this year's 1st year Amateur Draft, which wasn't all that exciting. Anyway, I am so glad I asked this question because I would have left some huge talent unprotected. LOL Thanks again... Hopefully, I won't be back in a few minutes crying my eyes out like a baby. __________________ "I'm on the side that's always lost against the side of Heaven. I'm on the side of snake-eyes tossed against the side of seven" - Leonard Cohen "The Captain"

10-14-2020, 12:07 AM	#3
CBeisbol Banned Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Ban land in 3...2... Posts: 2,943	I just did that draft and agree with most of what 1991twins just said. I went with the default settings for the draft and kind of wish I had freed up more players to be eligible. I didn't even protect my full 15. I also feel like the teams drafted more established major league players than young players. Even when those players were in the final year of their contact