Extensions

Hrbek14 · 07-11-2008, 10:52 AM

Thanks for all of the help I've been given so far - I'm really enjoying the game!

I do have a new question about signing players to extensions. I'll use a player in my current league as an example. He's a young player but is already playing at an All-Star level. I want to keep him long term. Currently, he's on a normal, minimum wage major league contract. If I look at him in the salary report, it says (with the current year first):

$390k $390k $390k $5.6m(A) $5.6m(A) $5.6m(A)

I'm not sure if there are two or three arbitration years listed for him... it might only be two. Anyway, my question is about when I should offer him an extension. I know I can keep him for this and the next two years very cheaply at the minimum salary, right? Assuming he has good health and keeps playing well, the negative side to that is that he may be much more expensive to sign then vs. what it would take now. I went into the "offer extension" screen with him to see what he'd ask for and he wanted something in the range of $8 million a year.

So beyond those ups and downs, are there other factors to think about? Will his morale be affected if I don't extend him since he'll be working for so little money?

tysok · 07-11-2008, 11:09 AM

His morale won't be affected at all. He's perfectly happy to play for the minimum for 3 years and then get his 3 arbitration contracts.

The upside to signing him long term now is you can get him for cheap. He may take 5 million for 7 years (just an example). Then you've bought out his 3 arbitration years (which currently look like they'll be over 5 million a year) plus 2 of his free agent years (which if he stays as good as he is now would be a bargain at 5 mil a year).

The downside is that you're paying him 5 million instead of league minimum for 2 of those years. Also, if he tanks (is injured, or OOTP just kills him) next year or even the next then you're stuck with 5 mil a year for a junk player.

In previous versions, at least, a player could be very volatile until he was 25-26 years old. If he's younger than that he could quickly turn to junk. Supposedly that's been tweaked... but still...

I usually let them play out there league minimum years and their first arb contract. Then I'll look to sign them long term if I still think he's worth it. Often you still get a steal... and you get it longer. He may take 8 mil a year for 7 years at that time... which buys out his last 2 arbitration years and 5 years of free agency.

Currently the game won't let you set up a contract for this type of guy at this time. You can't offer him 400 thousand next year, 450 the next, then start pushing it up to mimic his arbitration awards (which is what you'd really do if you were doing this in real life) ending at him making 8-10 million in his 7th year. So whatever savings you may see later on from buying out his free agency years you've wasted by having to pay far higher than the league minimum these 2. Although, if he stayed a superstar type player and you got him for 5 mil a year for 10 years you've gotten a super-steal. That's a gamble.

If it were me, I wait him out. Make sure he's everything you want, then buy out his last year of arbitration and some free agent years instead.

Hrbek14 · 07-14-2008, 01:55 PM

OK - thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure whether I could be making it less likely that he'll re-sign with me if I let him play the next couple of years at minimum wage. He's 26 right now, so that timing will be good - a season or two should tell me whether he'll remain a star or slip a bit.

07-11-2008, 10:52 AM	#1
Hrbek14 Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 54	Extensions Thanks for all of the help I've been given so far - I'm really enjoying the game! I do have a new question about signing players to extensions. I'll use a player in my current league as an example. He's a young player but is already playing at an All-Star level. I want to keep him long term. Currently, he's on a normal, minimum wage major league contract. If I look at him in the salary report, it says (with the current year first): $390k $390k $390k $5.6m(A) $5.6m(A) $5.6m(A) I'm not sure if there are two or three arbitration years listed for him... it might only be two. Anyway, my question is about when I should offer him an extension. I know I can keep him for this and the next two years very cheaply at the minimum salary, right? Assuming he has good health and keeps playing well, the negative side to that is that he may be much more expensive to sign then vs. what it would take now. I went into the "offer extension" screen with him to see what he'd ask for and he wanted something in the range of $8 million a year. So beyond those ups and downs, are there other factors to think about? Will his morale be affected if I don't extend him since he'll be working for so little money?

07-11-2008, 11:09 AM	#2
tysok Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,925	His morale won't be affected at all. He's perfectly happy to play for the minimum for 3 years and then get his 3 arbitration contracts. The upside to signing him long term now is you can get him for cheap. He may take 5 million for 7 years (just an example). Then you've bought out his 3 arbitration years (which currently look like they'll be over 5 million a year) plus 2 of his free agent years (which if he stays as good as he is now would be a bargain at 5 mil a year). The downside is that you're paying him 5 million instead of league minimum for 2 of those years. Also, if he tanks (is injured, or OOTP just kills him) next year or even the next then you're stuck with 5 mil a year for a junk player. In previous versions, at least, a player could be very volatile until he was 25-26 years old. If he's younger than that he could quickly turn to junk. Supposedly that's been tweaked... but still... I usually let them play out there league minimum years and their first arb contract. Then I'll look to sign them long term if I still think he's worth it. Often you still get a steal... and you get it longer. He may take 8 mil a year for 7 years at that time... which buys out his last 2 arbitration years and 5 years of free agency. Currently the game won't let you set up a contract for this type of guy at this time. You can't offer him 400 thousand next year, 450 the next, then start pushing it up to mimic his arbitration awards (which is what you'd really do if you were doing this in real life) ending at him making 8-10 million in his 7th year. So whatever savings you may see later on from buying out his free agency years you've wasted by having to pay far higher than the league minimum these 2. Although, if he stayed a superstar type player and you got him for 5 mil a year for 10 years you've gotten a super-steal. That's a gamble. If it were me, I wait him out. Make sure he's everything you want, then buy out his last year of arbitration and some free agent years instead. __________________ I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes! Jack Buck, September 17, 2001 It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. I firmly believe that any man's finest hour... is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious. (Vince Lombardi) I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom. (George S. Patton)

07-14-2008, 01:55 PM	#3
Hrbek14 Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 54	OK - thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure whether I could be making it less likely that he'll re-sign with me if I let him play the next couple of years at minimum wage. He's 26 right now, so that timing will be good - a season or two should tell me whether he'll remain a star or slip a bit.