A bit flummoxed by trading

dawg_gone · 10-24-2012, 01:06 AM

I'm messing around with a few OOTP scenarios to try and learn it. I started a 1991 historical game as the Braves with historical transactions turned off.

My first few attempts at shopping players and making trades were pretty reasonable, I thought. Charlie Leibrandt for Greg Maddux? LOL, nope! (I'll admit, I started this game just to see if I could make that happen, haha. Greg Maddux in the 5 man Braves rotation in 1991...)

But then I shopped 35 year old LF Lonnie Smith since we're loaded in the outfield. My jaw dropped when I saw the offers. A 30 year old John Franco; aging but excellent closers Lee Smith and Alejandro Pena; and a 26 year old Rafael Palmeiro.

Rafael Palmeiro for Lonnie Smith? And at a smaller salary to boot?

I'm feeling quite dirty about jobbing the AI. Also about kicking Sid Bream to the curb. Would the 1991 Texas Rangers club have needed Lonnie Smith that badly?

Peregrine · 10-24-2012, 08:02 AM

Keep in mind that the AI doesn't have any idea who particular players are - they are just looking at a bundle of stats. Now I will admit the trading is far from perfect at times - personally this is one of the reasons I always play fictional leagues, I don't have the emotional connection to particular players that you obviously can in real life if they are from your favorite team or you just like the player.

Personally I usually try to avoid totally ripping off the AI when it occasionally makes really off-the wall trade offers. Sometimes there is a reason for them, like they may be in really bad budgetary shape and trying to lighten their player salary load - but it's certainly hard to see taking on Lonnie Smith for a young Palmeiro.

dawg_gone · 10-24-2012, 10:22 AM

I will have a mighty hard time resisting deals like this.

I suppose it's part of the n00b syndrome. The idea of a fictional league is less appealing to me because of those emotional connections; it's more fascinating to me to see alternate history play out - but again, maybe that's n00b thing.

rpriske · 10-24-2012, 10:30 AM

And some times the AI knows more than you know, because your out-of-game knowledge is too high.

The question is, would that trade have been realistic if you had no idea what the future would hold for those players? Lonnie Smith was once considered a hot player...

It is easy to consider the offer ridiculous if you look at Rafael Palmeiro the should-be Hall of Famer, instead of the no-such-thing-as-a-sure-thing developing player.

Orcin · 10-24-2012, 11:02 AM

Trade settings?

dawg_gone · 10-24-2012, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin

Trade settings?

Default, whatever that is. Let me look... Average frequency, Average difficulty, and Neutral preference. I should add that all the other players I shopped around drew offers that looked credible and reasonable to me. In fact I had settled myself for a long tough winter of roster studying in order to find a few bargains. And then I shopped Lonnie Smith - because he's my 5th outfielder on my 25 man roster, he's 35, and he's expensive - and WOW! The AI managers love this guy!

I'm not at all dissing on OOTP. If it seems so it is probably because I was giddy when I posted the OP. Really I'm just wondering if this is an unusual thing, if the AI managers tend to overvalue certain types of players -- or maybe if my alt universe Palmeiro is not as good as my scout thinks he is.

rpriske · 10-24-2012, 01:42 PM

I have found that the AI managers love a guy like Kelly Johnson and don't like a guy like Brandon Morrow. Go figure.

The Game · 10-24-2012, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawg_gone

Default, whatever that is. Let me look... Average frequency, Average difficulty, and Neutral preference. I should add that all the other players I shopped around drew offers that looked credible and reasonable to me. In fact I had settled myself for a long tough winter of roster studying in order to find a few bargains. And then I shopped Lonnie Smith - because he's my 5th outfielder on my 25 man roster, he's 35, and he's expensive - and WOW! The AI managers love this guy!

I'm not at all dissing on OOTP. If it seems so it is probably because I was giddy when I posted the OP. Really I'm just wondering if this is an unusual thing, if the AI managers tend to overvalue certain types of players -- or maybe if my alt universe Palmeiro is not as good as my scout thinks he is.

Turn them to low, hard, neutral or even favor prospects and you will be lucky to ever trade a player away. Mine are avg hard neutral. Very rarely to I get over on the AI.

dawg_gone · 10-24-2012, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Game

Turn them to low, hard, neutral or even favor prospects and you will be lucky to ever trade a player away. Mine are avg hard neutral. Very rarely to I get over on the AI.

With trade difficulty = hard, does that make it hard for AI managers to trade with each other too? Or does it just make it harder on the player?

The Game · 10-25-2012, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawg_gone

With trade difficulty = hard, does that make it hard for AI managers to trade with each other too? Or does it just make it harder on the player?

I want to say harder on the player but someone with more knowledge then I could answer that better. i don;t see but a few seemingly lopsided trades between AI teams with my settings and its been ages since I used default settings.

JohnHoward · 10-29-2012, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawg_gone

Rafael Palmeiro for Lonnie Smith? And at a smaller salary to boot?

No simulation is perfect. The game doesn't reflect that Lonnie Smith will always fall down, and that Rafael Palmeiro will eventually shoot up.

10-24-2012, 01:06 AM	#1
dawg_gone Minors (Double A) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 106	A bit flummoxed by trading I'm messing around with a few OOTP scenarios to try and learn it. I started a 1991 historical game as the Braves with historical transactions turned off. My first few attempts at shopping players and making trades were pretty reasonable, I thought. Charlie Leibrandt for Greg Maddux? LOL, nope! (I'll admit, I started this game just to see if I could make that happen, haha. Greg Maddux in the 5 man Braves rotation in 1991...) But then I shopped 35 year old LF Lonnie Smith since we're loaded in the outfield. My jaw dropped when I saw the offers. A 30 year old John Franco; aging but excellent closers Lee Smith and Alejandro Pena; and a 26 year old Rafael Palmeiro. Rafael Palmeiro for Lonnie Smith? And at a smaller salary to boot? I'm feeling quite dirty about jobbing the AI. Also about kicking Sid Bream to the curb. Would the 1991 Texas Rangers club have needed Lonnie Smith that badly?

10-24-2012, 08:02 AM	#2
Peregrine All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Cary, North Carolina Posts: 635	Keep in mind that the AI doesn't have any idea who particular players are - they are just looking at a bundle of stats. Now I will admit the trading is far from perfect at times - personally this is one of the reasons I always play fictional leagues, I don't have the emotional connection to particular players that you obviously can in real life if they are from your favorite team or you just like the player. Personally I usually try to avoid totally ripping off the AI when it occasionally makes really off-the wall trade offers. Sometimes there is a reason for them, like they may be in really bad budgetary shape and trying to lighten their player salary load - but it's certainly hard to see taking on Lonnie Smith for a young Palmeiro.

10-24-2012, 10:22 AM	#3
dawg_gone Minors (Double A) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 106	I will have a mighty hard time resisting deals like this. I suppose it's part of the n00b syndrome. The idea of a fictional league is less appealing to me because of those emotional connections; it's more fascinating to me to see alternate history play out - but again, maybe that's n00b thing.

10-24-2012, 10:30 AM	#4
rpriske Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Spencerville, ON, Canada Posts: 27,218	And some times the AI knows more than you know, because your out-of-game knowledge is too high. The question is, would that trade have been realistic if you had no idea what the future would hold for those players? Lonnie Smith was once considered a hot player... It is easy to consider the offer ridiculous if you look at Rafael Palmeiro the should-be Hall of Famer, instead of the no-such-thing-as-a-sure-thing developing player.

10-24-2012, 11:02 AM	#5
Orcin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 9,879	Trade settings?

10-24-2012, 01:42 PM	#7
rpriske Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Spencerville, ON, Canada Posts: 27,218	I have found that the AI managers love a guy like Kelly Johnson and don't like a guy like Brandon Morrow. Go figure.