Signing FAs During Season

[Fyrestorm3]

Is this going to be fixed this time around? It's really annoying to have a guy take a week or two to respond to your contract offer in July, especially if you need him on an emergency basis. You'd think most guys would be clamoring for a job - any job - if they weren't signed by midseason.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

Is this going to be fixed this time around? It's really annoying to have a guy take a week or two to respond to your contract offer in July, especially if you need him on an emergency basis. You'd think most guys would be clamoring for a job - any job - if they weren't signed by midseason.

One thing to keep in mind. I don't recall any inactive mid-season FA IRL that signs and plays in MLB right away. If they have been injured they go to the minors for rehab if they are healthy they usually sign a minor league contract first and then are called up. This applies especially to inactive pitchers, but no one is going to put a batter into a game who hasn't played all year over a minor leaguer who has played that week.

If realism is the goal the 40-man roster is the source of emergency replacements. If you like a FA over anyone on your 40-man roster then you may have the wrong mix of players on that roster. I wonder how many inactive FA IRL sign and play in MLB each year without playing any minor league games?

So recently released players should sign right away but I don't think it's realistic for inactive FA to be able to play right away. Makes the game harder too.

[Fyrestorm3]

All fair points. In my most recent season, I had a ridiculous wave of injuries to my outfielders in both the MLB and AAA. I did try to use the remnants of my AAA team to fill the hole in LF, but with both of the guys that I had called up batting around .100, I wound up signing a FA outfielder in July. I ended up editing him onto my team after the offer was pending for a week and a half.

While I do agree that this situation probably doesn't happen very often in real life, think about if it did: if there was a guy sitting un-signed in July who was offered a Major League contract, he'd take it in a heartbeat. Plus, this does also still happen with Minor League contracts - at least it did in OOTP13; haven't had that situation come up in 14 yet.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

All fair points. In my most recent season, I had a ridiculous wave of injuries to my outfielders in both the MLB and AAA. I did try to use the remnants of my AAA team to fill the hole in LF, but with both of the guys that I had called up batting around .100, I wound up signing a FA outfielder in July. I ended up editing him onto my team after the offer was pending for a week and a half.

While I do agree that this situation probably doesn't happen very often in real life, think about if it did: if there was a guy sitting un-signed in July who was offered a Major League contract, he'd take it in a heartbeat. Plus, this does also still happen with Minor League contracts - at least it did in OOTP13; haven't had that situation come up in 14 yet.

I generally agree. I just think it's very rare. Just wanted to point out that MLB teams do live with replacements that don't hit. Under 0.150 is tough to live with though.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by RchW

I generally agree. I just think it's very rare. Just wanted to point out that MLB teams do live with replacements that don't hit. Under 0.150 is tough to live with though.

I think it's rare because in real life these type of guys would be playing somewhere. In real life there simply isn't a huge list of free agents(for some reason, the greatest share of them being middle relievers) sitting around waiting for a major league team to offer them a contract. Guys that have the ability to play or the want to still play are playing somewhere. When I play OOTP, I never look at the players on the free agent list as inactive. I always imagine that they are playing in independent leagues...........Hmmm, maybe OOTP should.......

I think what we can look at when it comes to this problem is what happens in real life when a player is released in season. Looking back at last year it looks like most guys sign with a new team 1 to 5 days after their release.

[RchW]

Agree. Recently released players should sign fast.

[David Watts]

Funny thing about this forum. Someone is always going to post the other side of an issue and make you think about the issue in a different light. That's what RchW has just done. I will now simply look at the negotiating period with mid season free agents as being the time this player would have to spend playing at the AA or AAA level to get major league ready.

Maybe in the future, guys that have been pining away the months as unsigned free agents will sign faster but come to you with a severe case of rust similar to what injured players have prior to a rehab stint.

I also think it would be really cool if we had more options in regards to eliminating the massive number of free agents a league builds up. Maybe we could have an option to have players automatically retire if they spend a certain amount of months or a years unsigned.

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by David Watts

Funny thing about this forum. Someone is always going to post the other side of an issue and make you think about the issue in a different light. That's what RchW has just done. I will now simply look at the negotiating period with mid season free agents as being the time this player would have to spend playing at the AA or AAA level to get major league ready.

Yep. I no longer see this as as big of an issue as I previously had. Still think it's a little ridiculous for a guy to hold out for two weeks in July to mull over the contract, but at the very least, I can rationalize it now.

[le receveur]

Originally Posted by David Watts

Funny thing about this forum. Someone is always going to post the other side of an issue and make you think about the issue in a different light. That's what RchW has just done. I will now simply look at the negotiating period with mid season free agents as being the time this player would have to spend playing at the AA or AAA level to get major league ready.

Maybe in the future, guys that have been pining away the months as unsigned free agents will sign faster but come to you with a severe case of rust similar to what injured players have prior to a rehab stint.
.

actually this was my biggest problem with FA, guys who spent over a year on FA, who won't take a AAA contract by mid year, when I need someone as a back-up... Few times I find myself without a viable ready back-up for some position, and I try and sign guys so they are on my roster for post season by early august, and there is just no way.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by le receveur

actually this was my biggest problem with FA, guys who spent over a year on FA, who won't take a AAA contract by mid year, when I need someone as a back-up... Few times I find myself without a viable ready back-up for some position, and I try and sign guys so they are on my roster for post season by early august, and there is just no way.

To me your triple A team has to consist of half prospects and half suspects usually AAAA types older players that may be emergency replacements. I think it also depends on your league. My solo leagues rarely have anyone worth signing by June. At least not anybody above A or AA.