Make This Work Now = Win

chort · 05-28-2011, 09:18 PM

I've been trying to dump some of my aging players with high salaries to make room to resign my raising stars. I start by offering the player I want to get rid of, then browsing their roster for a prospect at a position I'm interested in, then trying the "make this work now" button to see who else I'll have to add and go from there.

On a lark I offered my highest paid outfielder to a team looking for outfielders, and tried asking for the best middle infield prospect in their entire organization. I just about fell out of my chair when all they asked for in addition was a 1-star utility infielder. Umm, DONE!

It never hurts to try a crazy trade if you're offering a position the other team is looking for and they have room in their budget!

busman · 05-29-2011, 12:54 PM

I've also found that I can get the better end of a deal if I trade my aging high-priced veteran to a last place team with demoralized/unhappy prospects. I too have almost fallen out of my chair a couple times when they only ask for a one star player to "make this work". The team is more willing to deal a demoralized/unhappy propsect regardless of the age/price of the aging veteran being offered.

purstelldf · 05-29-2011, 03:18 PM

trading older players helps I played 28 seansons and took first in all but my first season. But sometimes when you try to trade more senior players the player invokrs their 10/5 rule blocking the trade htis can be very fustraiting.

Nighthawk42 · 06-05-2011, 10:06 PM

Pay attention to all of those "<name player here> desires a trade" stories...

Go into Player Trade, put said player on their side and immediately use Make This Work Now. You can judge the desperation of the team to get rid of the player based on what they say they'll take. If they'll only take some of your better prospects, don't bother. If they'll take your worst scrub player, you're in business.

Put said scrub on your side, then put the best prospect in their franchise on their side (you should have two players on their side now). You'll be amazed at how often you can get one or two of their highest prospects for your one scrub player.

Bonus: Look for high-star rated players making little money (less than $2M) who are in the last year of their contract who "want to be traded". Combined with the above, you could either resign that "want to be traded" player yourself, or let him become a free agent and pick up at least one draft pick (odds are good he's a Type A free agent when he has 4 or more stars). And... you get to keep the prospects too!

chort · 06-07-2011, 03:10 AM

Yes, that's a great tip on getting guys who are about to go FA. Last season I deliberately let a lot of my good players go unsigned and ended up getting a bonanza of draft picks.

HavenHunting · 06-07-2011, 03:59 AM

I love this game, however I dont know baseball, like I do american football. How do you aquire more picks for the draft?

JWay · 06-07-2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HavenHunting

I love this game, however I dont know baseball, like I do american football. How do you aquire more picks for the draft?

Unfortunately, in American baseball you do not get to do this. However, in the full OOTP version you can change the option so you can change draft picks.

ricko · 06-07-2011, 11:01 AM

The other way to acquire draft picks is to lose players to free agency. However, not all players lost to free agency will get you a pick. Only Type A and Type B free agents will. These are the FAs who are ranked in the top two tiers at their position.

In real life, these rankings are determined by the Elias Sports Bureau, and I believe the ranking criteria is vague. In OOTP, the game acts as the ranking body.

The picks awarded can get complicated, depending on the team that signed your player away, but this might be more detail than you're looking for.

EDIT: spelling

chort · 06-07-2011, 11:55 AM

I believe, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, that in general losing a type A (probably 4-5 star?) player results in:
1. Taking the first round pick of the team who signed your former player and
2. Getting an additional pick at the end of the first round.

Losing a type B player generally results in:
1. Taking the third round pick of the team who signed your former player and
2. Getting an additional pick at the end of the first(?) round.

Carplos · 06-07-2011, 12:00 PM

Type A grants you the 1st round pick unless it's in the top 15 of the draft, or another Type A player was signed from the team that is higher ranked. Though I'm not sure how OOTP determines who gets the pick if more than one Type A is signed. IRL, whoever is the higher ranked player gets the pick and the other team gets the 2nd round pick instead. And of course the compensation round pick.

Type B grants you a compensation pick only, though I haven't paid attention enough in OOTP to know if it continues to grant a second round pick as well (used to IRL, but stopped when they revamped compensation a bit and dropped Type C players.)

ricko · 06-07-2011, 12:31 PM

Carplos is right.

To elaborate, when a team signs two Type A's, their first rounder goes to the team who owned the higher ranked player (this thread is screaming out for an LGO reply!).

The Blue Jays got burned a few years ago when they lost A.J. Burnett to the Yankees in the same year that NY also signed Sabathia and Teixeira. The Jays ended up with a third rounder, if memory serves. *

Also, as far as the ranking, I can't speak to the game's logic, but IRL, Elias ranks them according to their system, and the top x% are Type A's, the next y% are Type Bs. I doubt the game simply makes all 4/5-star players a Type As. I would guess it does a ranking and then assigns Types according to percentiles. But I've never tested this.

* Incidentally, the Jays claimed Miguel Olivo in the winter for the sole purpose of losing him to Free Agency. They bagged an extra pick for their troubles. Nice.

EDIT: Spelling. Again.

chort · 06-07-2011, 12:46 PM

Ah, that explains my third round pick.

Nighthawk42 · 06-10-2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricko

I doubt the game simply makes all 4/5-star players a Type As. I would guess it does a ranking and then assigns Types according to percentiles. But I've never tested this.

You're right, it doesn't, but since there's no way to tell exactly what type of free agent a player will be, I suggested that a rough guide was that the player should be at least 4 stars, the higher the better.

In previous seasons I've had Type-A free agents net me as little as just a compensation pick (or nothing at all if no one signs them!).

05-28-2011, 09:18 PM	#1
chort Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 91	Make This Work Now = Win I've been trying to dump some of my aging players with high salaries to make room to resign my raising stars. I start by offering the player I want to get rid of, then browsing their roster for a prospect at a position I'm interested in, then trying the "make this work now" button to see who else I'll have to add and go from there. On a lark I offered my highest paid outfielder to a team looking for outfielders, and tried asking for the best middle infield prospect in their entire organization. I just about fell out of my chair when all they asked for in addition was a 1-star utility infielder. Umm, DONE! It never hurts to try a crazy trade if you're offering a position the other team is looking for and they have room in their budget!

05-29-2011, 03:18 PM	#3
purstelldf Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 17	10/5 rule trading older players helps I played 28 seansons and took first in all but my first season. But sometimes when you try to trade more senior players the player invokrs their 10/5 rule blocking the trade htis can be very fustraiting.

06-07-2011, 12:31 PM	#11
ricko Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 90	Carplos is right. To elaborate, when a team signs two Type A's, their first rounder goes to the team who owned the higher ranked player (this thread is screaming out for an LGO reply!). The Blue Jays got burned a few years ago when they lost A.J. Burnett to the Yankees in the same year that NY also signed Sabathia and Teixeira. The Jays ended up with a third rounder, if memory serves. * Also, as far as the ranking, I can't speak to the game's logic, but IRL, Elias ranks them according to their system, and the top x% are Type A's, the next y% are Type Bs. I doubt the game simply makes all 4/5-star players a Type As. I would guess it does a ranking and then assigns Types according to percentiles. But I've never tested this. * Incidentally, the Jays claimed Miguel Olivo in the winter for the sole purpose of losing him to Free Agency. They bagged an extra pick for their troubles. Nice. EDIT: Spelling. Again. Last edited by ricko; 06-07-2011 at 12:36 PM.

05-29-2011, 12:54 PM	#2
busman Bat Boy Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 18	I've also found that I can get the better end of a deal if I trade my aging high-priced veteran to a last place team with demoralized/unhappy prospects. I too have almost fallen out of my chair a couple times when they only ask for a one star player to "make this work". The team is more willing to deal a demoralized/unhappy propsect regardless of the age/price of the aging veteran being offered.

06-05-2011, 10:06 PM	#4
Nighthawk42 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 37	Pay attention to all of those "<name player here> desires a trade" stories... Go into Player Trade, put said player on their side and immediately use Make This Work Now. You can judge the desperation of the team to get rid of the player based on what they say they'll take. If they'll only take some of your better prospects, don't bother. If they'll take your worst scrub player, you're in business. Put said scrub on your side, then put the best prospect in their franchise on their side (you should have two players on their side now). You'll be amazed at how often you can get one or two of their highest prospects for your one scrub player. Bonus: Look for high-star rated players making little money (less than $2M) who are in the last year of their contract who "want to be traded". Combined with the above, you could either resign that "want to be traded" player yourself, or let him become a free agent and pick up at least one draft pick (odds are good he's a Type A free agent when he has 4 or more stars). And... you get to keep the prospects too!

06-07-2011, 03:10 AM	#5
chort Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 91	Yes, that's a great tip on getting guys who are about to go FA. Last season I deliberately let a lot of my good players go unsigned and ended up getting a bonanza of draft picks.

06-07-2011, 03:59 AM	#6
HavenHunting Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 150	I love this game, however I dont know baseball, like I do american football. How do you aquire more picks for the draft?

06-07-2011, 11:01 AM	#8
ricko Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 90	The other way to acquire draft picks is to lose players to free agency. However, not all players lost to free agency will get you a pick. Only Type A and Type B free agents will. These are the FAs who are ranked in the top two tiers at their position. In real life, these rankings are determined by the Elias Sports Bureau, and I believe the ranking criteria is vague. In OOTP, the game acts as the ranking body. The picks awarded can get complicated, depending on the team that signed your player away, but this might be more detail than you're looking for. EDIT: spelling

06-07-2011, 11:55 AM	#9
chort Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 91	I believe, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, that in general losing a type A (probably 4-5 star?) player results in: 1. Taking the first round pick of the team who signed your former player and 2. Getting an additional pick at the end of the first round. Losing a type B player generally results in: 1. Taking the third round pick of the team who signed your former player and 2. Getting an additional pick at the end of the first(?) round.

06-07-2011, 12:00 PM	#10
Carplos Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,847 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	Type A grants you the 1st round pick unless it's in the top 15 of the draft, or another Type A player was signed from the team that is higher ranked. Though I'm not sure how OOTP determines who gets the pick if more than one Type A is signed. IRL, whoever is the higher ranked player gets the pick and the other team gets the 2nd round pick instead. And of course the compensation round pick. Type B grants you a compensation pick only, though I haven't paid attention enough in OOTP to know if it continues to grant a second round pick as well (used to IRL, but stopped when they revamped compensation a bit and dropped Type C players.)

06-07-2011, 12:46 PM	#12
chort Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 91	Ah, that explains my third round pick.