Why are so many players put on waivers when the Offseason begins?

[AlpineSK]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

I was literally going off of the first screenshot, yes.

His 2023 stats are literally in the screenshot.

[Rain King]

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

I'm guessing based on the scroll bar that you'd have to scroll down to see 2023.

That said, if a 24 year old collects 37 saves with nearly a 3:1 K:BB ratio and more than a K/inning while giving up just 2 HR in 71 innings and he gets waved? That GM should be run out of town.

EDIT: Its also worth noting that he gave up 2 HR's while playing for Colorado.

He didn't play in Colorado yet, he was just claimed by Colorado from the Cubs. Those are the 2024 stats in the screenshot.

The 2023 results may be playing a large role in the perceived value of the player depending on their player evaluation settings...and we can't see those 2023 stats...it's very possible they are strategically not displayed here (not necessarily accusing but that is a tactic we've seen here before).

[bigd51]

Originally Posted by Rain King

He didn't play in Colorado yet, he was just claimed by Colorado from the Cubs. Those are the 2024 stats in the screenshot.

The 2023 results may be playing a large role in the perceived value of the player depending on their player evaluation settings...and we can't see those 2023 stats...it's very possible they are strategically not displayed here (not necessarily accusing but that is a tactic we've seen here before).

Dylan Lee didn't pitch a full season in MLB until Atlanta gave him a shot when he was 27. He posted an ERA of 2.13 and a FIP of 2.81 across 50.2 innings. Had the Braves put him on waivers and allowed him to be claimed by another team, they would've been taken to the woodshed.

His 2023 results wouldn't matter IRL. A full 40-man wouldn't matter IRL. If a reliever posted that kind of stats IRL, there's just no way in hell he would be put on waivers and allowed to be picked up by another team for nothing in return. Not to mention the fact the prospect in question was a rookie who had option years available and never should have been put on waivers to begin with.

This is the point the OP is trying to make. Even the most incompetent GM wouldn't be that stupid IRL.


And I get that AI roster management will never be perfect as Markus said, but there are still safeguards that could be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

This is supposed to be the most realistic MLB sim on the market... and on the surface, it is. But when you dig deeper and see things like this happen...

Or the numerous trades involving teams retaining 100% of a player's salary just so they can be traded to a team w/ zero budget room for the sake of saying "hey, look, a trade happened"...

Or prospects like Andrew Painter being inexplicably sent all the way back down to Rookie league and forced to work their way back up through the minors for 3 YEARS, just one season after pitching 160 innings in the majors and posting a 3.93 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 3.1 WAR...

Or 2nd overall picks like Dylan Crews being flat-out released by their teams after just 2 seasons...

Or 4th overall picks like Jackson Jobe being traded for an MLB-average SP in Max Castillo and 2 other low-rated prospects only for Castillo to be placed on waivers 1 month later and allowed to be claimed by another team...

When you see all these things happen, you start to realize the game is becoming less realistic w/ each release. And the downside to having so many options at your disposal is that it becomes easier for players to blame these misgivings on "settings" instead of actually holding the devs accountable for not even bothering to try and correct them.

[Le Grande Orange]

Someone input the data into ChatGPT and see whether it would release the player . . .

[jcard]

Originally Posted by bigd51

Dylan Lee didn't pitch a full season in MLB until Atlanta gave him a shot when he was 27. He posted an ERA of 2.13 and a FIP of 2.81 across 50.2 innings. Had the Braves put him on waivers and allowed him to be claimed by another team, they would've been taken to the woodshed.

His 2023 results wouldn't matter IRL. A full 40-man wouldn't matter IRL. If a reliever posted that kind of stats IRL, there's just no way in hell he would be put on waivers and allowed to be picked up by another team for nothing in return. Not to mention the fact the prospect in question was a rookie who had option years available and never should have been put on waivers to begin with.

This is the point the OP is trying to make. Even the most incompetent GM wouldn't be that stupid IRL.


And I get that AI roster management will never be perfect as Markus said, but there are still safeguards that could be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

This is supposed to be the most realistic MLB sim on the market... and on the surface, it is. But when you dig deeper and see things like this happen...

Or the numerous trades involving teams retaining 100% of a player's salary just so they can be traded to a team w/ zero budget room for the sake of saying "hey, look, a trade happened"...

Or prospects like Andrew Painter being inexplicably sent all the way back down to Rookie league and forced to work their way back up through the minors for 3 YEARS, just one season after pitching 160 innings in the majors and posting a 3.93 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 3.1 WAR...

Or 2nd overall picks like Dylan Crews being flat-out released by their teams after just 2 seasons...

Or 4th overall picks like Jackson Jobe being traded for an MLB-average SP in Max Castillo and 2 other low-rated prospects only for Castillo to be placed on waivers 1 month later and allowed to be claimed by another team...

When you see all these things happen, you start to realize the game is becoming less realistic w/ each release. And the downside to having so many options at your disposal is that it becomes easier for players to blame these misgivings on "settings" instead of actually holding the devs accountable for not even bothering to try and correct them.

Excellent post. The rationalizations are tedious. The starting point of any conversation is clear- this roster move would not occur in real life. Similarly, the extent of myriad and evergreen problems deemed acceptable trade-offs for customization has indeed become divorced from logic.

[wallewalls]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

I don't think anyone actually answered what you asked, but the reason why so many players are waived on the first day of the offseason is because this is when you need to activate players from the IL. A lot of teams have guys on the 60-Day IL, but may not have room on their 40-man rosters to activate them. This causes a lot of players to be waived on that first day

In terms of that specific player, sometimes the AI doesn't value relievers very highly. And if you play with scouts, their scout may not be to fond of them. Or they just have too many pitchers. Neither are "good" explanations as they liked him enough to be their closer and he pitched really well, but with reliever volatility, he may never match that production again

Is this something the AI has to deal with and the player doesn't? I know this is how it works IRL, but in my games, I never have to activate players on the 60-day on the first day of the offseason, rather only when they are fully healthy.

[Rain King]

Originally Posted by bigd51

Dylan Lee didn't pitch a full season in MLB until Atlanta gave him a shot when he was 27. He posted an ERA of 2.13 and a FIP of 2.81 across 50.2 innings. Had the Braves put him on waivers and allowed him to be claimed by another team, they would've been taken to the woodshed.

His 2023 results wouldn't matter IRL. A full 40-man wouldn't matter IRL. If a reliever posted that kind of stats IRL, there's just no way in hell he would be put on waivers and allowed to be picked up by another team for nothing in return. Not to mention the fact the prospect in question was a rookie who had option years available and never should have been put on waivers to begin with.

This is the point the OP is trying to make. Even the most incompetent GM wouldn't be that stupid IRL.


And I get that AI roster management will never be perfect as Markus said, but there are still safeguards that could be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

This is supposed to be the most realistic MLB sim on the market... and on the surface, it is. But when you dig deeper and see things like this happen...

Or the numerous trades involving teams retaining 100% of a player's salary just so they can be traded to a team w/ zero budget room for the sake of saying "hey, look, a trade happened"...

Or prospects like Andrew Painter being inexplicably sent all the way back down to Rookie league and forced to work their way back up through the minors for 3 YEARS, just one season after pitching 160 innings in the majors and posting a 3.93 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 3.1 WAR...

Or 2nd overall picks like Dylan Crews being flat-out released by their teams after just 2 seasons...

Or 4th overall picks like Jackson Jobe being traded for an MLB-average SP in Max Castillo and 2 other low-rated prospects only for Castillo to be placed on waivers 1 month later and allowed to be claimed by another team...

When you see all these things happen, you start to realize the game is becoming less realistic w/ each release. And the downside to having so many options at your disposal is that it becomes easier for players to blame these misgivings on "settings" instead of actually holding the devs accountable for not even bothering to try and correct them.

I also understand what they are saying, but they didn't provide complete information. It is possible that they can make this better by adjusting their player evaluation settings...and it is also possible that this player was awful in 2023. The screenshot shows the guy has a poor control rating and that will make pitchers (particularly relievers) generally inconsistent.

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

Is this something the AI has to deal with and the player doesn't? I know this is how it works IRL, but in my games, I never have to activate players on the 60-day on the first day of the offseason, rather only when they are fully healthy.

It usually stops your game from progressing. If you are in an online league, it doesn't, but it should in solo

[RchW]

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

Take a look at the Rios contract though. Yikes.

You're also comparing an OF to a rookie closer.

I was not offering it as justification. Just as a fact that many players are waived and rarely one with real money owed gets claimed.

FWIW I play fictional leagues and this issue does not occur. I don't know why.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

I know this is how it works IRL, but in my games, I never have to activate players on the 60-day on the first day of the offseason, rather only when they are fully healthy.

In real life, players must be reinstated from the 60-day DL no later than the fifth day following the last game of the World Series. It starts up again on the date clubs are allowed to invite injured players, pitchers, and catchers to spring training.

[wallewalls]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

In real life, players must be reinstated from the 60-day DL no later than the fifth day following the last game of the World Series. It starts up again on the date clubs are allowed to invite injured players, pitchers, and catchers to spring training.

I understand that. This has not been the case for me in my OOTP games over the years.

For example, in my latest game with the Brewers, Woodruff went down with a season-ending arm injury in August of 2024. I put him on the 60-day and never had to activate him until he was fully healthy in July 2025. I never changed any settings, nor do I even think that this is a setting that can even be changed.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

I understand that.

Sorry, I misread your post as having said "I don't know how it works IRL" instead of "I know this is how it works IRL."

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

I understand that. This has not been the case for me in my OOTP games over the years.

For example, in my latest game with the Brewers, Woodruff went down with a season-ending arm injury in August of 2024. I put him on the 60-day and never had to activate him until he was fully healthy in July 2025. I never changed any settings, nor do I even think that this is a setting that can even be changed.

Do you by any chance play on commissioner mode? This is what I get when trying to advance when there is someone on the IL:

[wallewalls]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Do you by any chance play on commissioner mode? This is what I get when trying to advance when there is someone on the IL:

Yes, I play on commish mode always. This is really what causes that? That's interesting and a slight bummer.

[ayaghmour2]

Originally Posted by wallewalls

Yes, I play on commish mode always. This is really what causes that? That's interesting and a slight bummer.

Yeah, commissioner mode allows you to bypass certain things, with this being one of them. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Has little to no effect on the rest of the game, plus now you know when to activate guys if you want to

[wallewalls]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Yeah, commissioner mode allows you to bypass certain things, with this being one of them. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Has little to no effect on the rest of the game, plus now you know when to activate guys if you want to

Yup, not a big deal really, but now I just gotta remember to activate my 60-day guys on the first day of the offseason now.

[Qrusher14242]

Originally Posted by bigd51

Dylan Lee didn't pitch a full season in MLB until Atlanta gave him a shot when he was 27. He posted an ERA of 2.13 and a FIP of 2.81 across 50.2 innings. Had the Braves put him on waivers and allowed him to be claimed by another team, they would've been taken to the woodshed.

His 2023 results wouldn't matter IRL. A full 40-man wouldn't matter IRL. If a reliever posted that kind of stats IRL, there's just no way in hell he would be put on waivers and allowed to be picked up by another team for nothing in return. Not to mention the fact the prospect in question was a rookie who had option years available and never should have been put on waivers to begin with.

This is the point the OP is trying to make. Even the most incompetent GM wouldn't be that stupid IRL.


And I get that AI roster management will never be perfect as Markus said, but there are still safeguards that could be put in place to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

This is supposed to be the most realistic MLB sim on the market... and on the surface, it is. But when you dig deeper and see things like this happen...

Or the numerous trades involving teams retaining 100% of a player's salary just so they can be traded to a team w/ zero budget room for the sake of saying "hey, look, a trade happened"...

Or prospects like Andrew Painter being inexplicably sent all the way back down to Rookie league and forced to work their way back up through the minors for 3 YEARS, just one season after pitching 160 innings in the majors and posting a 3.93 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 3.1 WAR...

Or 2nd overall picks like Dylan Crews being flat-out released by their teams after just 2 seasons...

Or 4th overall picks like Jackson Jobe being traded for an MLB-average SP in Max Castillo and 2 other low-rated prospects only for Castillo to be placed on waivers 1 month later and allowed to be claimed by another team...

When you see all these things happen, you start to realize the game is becoming less realistic w/ each release. And the downside to having so many options at your disposal is that it becomes easier for players to blame these misgivings on "settings" instead of actually holding the devs accountable for not even bothering to try and correct them.

Excellent post. No way would someone in that spot get waived. They could have easily optioned him. Hell, at the very least they could have traded him if they didnt want him. His value should have been high after the season he had. Would anyone else just waive a player like that? You dont gain anything other than a roster 40man spot.

[wallewalls]

I have noticed that there have been fewer good relievers (60+ overall) on waivers on the first day of the offseason, as well as Opening Day, since the latest patch.

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by Paul Reuschel's Mustache

What are you talking about A ball for? The OP was referencing a rookie 24-year-old (turned 25 near the end of the season) RP who put up excellent numbers during the 2024 season for the Cubs and then got put on waivers and claimed.

During the 2024 season the 24-year-old rookie puts up the following numbers for the Cubs:

37 saves, 71 IP, 49 H, 2HR, 31 BB, 92 K 3.1 WAR 54 FIP-

You were off-base with your first comment ("this isn’t someone I’d lose a lot of sleep over") and you're still off-base with your second comment ("’m not crying my eyes out if a 26 year old middle reliever who spent significant time in A ball got cut").

Did you read what the OP wrote? Did you look at the screenshots he provided?

You have to understand that there are certain people on these forums who will defend OOTP to their dying day no matter what. It doesn’t matter how legitimate a complaint may be, it’s just simply in their DNA to try to rationalize the reasons for poor AI management. (or other types of game issues)

I agree that there does appear to be an issue here, and hopefully the developers can take a good thorough look and see what might be happening.

[Pdubya64]

Originally Posted by Astroboy

No arbitration dude is a rookie. You don't put a guy like this on Waivers, it has to be a bug.

In a Baseball vacuum, I agree. There is no way someone who believes this player is a 60/60 would risk losing him. However, we don't have enough information to get the whole picture.

- What was the roster situation with the Chicago Cubs when this happened?

- What quality is the Cub's Head Scout- and what preferences does he have? He may not rate the guy this highly.

- What are the Gen Mgr and Asst Gen Mgr of the Cubs preferences for Veterans vs. Prospects, etc.?

Perhaps the Cubs had a better player coming off a minor league assignment and they had a tough choice to make. Sometimes there just isn't a good choice to be made and you risk the waiver wire to send a player down to the minors.

Point being, all these factors could have played a role in what is going on, along with there being a problem with how OOTP's game engine handled the roster moves.
I am pretty sure if you could make Markus tell you the truth, he would admit that OOTP has gotten many times more complex and complicated than he dreamed (or frankly wanted). Some of that is on him, some is on us for our requests over the years.
I get just as frustrated with OOTP as you all do.
But as Long John Silver said: "Here ye are, Jim."

I don't know of a better or equal alternative to OOTP. If you can find one, great. But Baseball is a niche market, so we may be waiting another lifetime to get that alternative. Meantime, we have to make the best of the kettle of fish we have.
As mentioned, the game may well be too complex to permit fixing to the community's liking. I hope not and I look forward to further work to fix roster thrash and budget issue, etc.

At the end of the day we either have to accept it and play with caveats or find some other entertainments. I don't make apologies for the Devs and I am just as frustrated with matters as anyone else (see "adaptability" definition).
Granted, it isn't a fun place to find ourselves in, but here we are. Hope for the best, try to provide constructive feedback and enjoy OOTP the best you can.