Building a winner

[Obechkinsbuddy]

This is the second OOTP ive bought and I love it. I try to be realistic and be a rookie GM (not pick a good team) Ive tried both small market bad teams and big market teams who had losing records and always pick teams like the blue jays who have a ton of money but didn't perform which I fail at because I screw up the off season by not understanding the rule 5 draft or letting too many people walk and have a bare roster. I like the small market teams better so I can focus on draft/ international signings and good veteran short term deals. I'm the reds who suck and have little money how do you OOTP vets that understand everything suggest building a team that's gonna suck for a few years into a perennial winner?

[Brad K]

You are not screwing up your team by misunderstanding the Rule 5 draft. There's not enough talent to gain or lose to make the difference between a good team or a bad team and an average one, let alone the difference between a good team and bad team.

You are not screwing up your team by letting too many players walk. There's not a percentage or number of players to keep. If everyone is a good value for what they want you sign everyone. If nobody is a good value for what they want you cut them all loose.

So since these are not the reasons for not doing well, you need to think a bit further about how you play. It probably involves valuing talent.

[Drstrangelove]

Originally Posted by Obechkinsbuddy

....I screw up the off season by not understanding the rule 5 draft or letting too many people walk and have a bare roster.

https://manuals.ootpdevelopments.com...php?man=ootp19

Here's what you can do:

1) Start reading through this manual
2) Read through some of the threads in this forum (lots of great threads and posts for people starting out)
3) Ask specific questions about problems you're having
4) Use default settings for now (change them later when you know more)
5) try this forum as well http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...lay.php?f=3909

For example, Rule 5 is explained in the manual (use the search box), but after you read it, if you still have a question, then ask here. Read the section "Important Game Concepts", especially the sections on Roster Rules and Player Contracts. Starting with a small market team will be a challenge, but if that's how you start, be prepared to struggle (winning-wise), but it still can be a good learning process. Don't expect rapid improvements, though, as we all made lots of mistakes in the first few seasons. Don't be discouraged! Before long, you'll be an old hand at waiver rules, Rule 5, arbitration and options.

[jimmysthebestcop]

I use the Rule 5 draft to gain assets. If I am a lousy team. There is no harm in signing 5-12 of them. Then right when spring training nears the end I am looking to trade them. Because Rule 5 happens first but lots of players get season ending injuries in spring training. So the AI needs good players and often you can someone who is average but that is good enough to bring you in a nice minor league haul.

To build a good winner. You constantly need to draft good, get good rule 5's and use international free agents wisely. Sometimes you are talking 8 years before even a 5 star Int Free agent is in the MLB. Other teams might not be able to sign him cause of contract financials. So you sign him gain an asset and then can trade him for minor league haul.

I also usually trade any player with any kind of contract 2+ years on my team and take whatever I can get for them. Minor leaguers or expiring contracts.

But if you start too Small your first times out it will be a challenge. Middle of the pack is probably better. Say oakland you will almost always need a full roster of 1st time rookie contracts. And even once arbirtration happens you might only be able to have 2-4 of them. So you constantly have to trade your guys for minor leaguers.

I also dump all my money into draft, scouts, player development, and int free agents. I want my teams payroll for years 1 and 2 to be bottom of the barrel. Like I don't care if they are all bought from the Mexican League bad. Think of the movie major league lol.

Everything is a guess. You use farm system to help you out. And you constantly have to scout other peoples farm system.

i might even sign some really nice free agents but only to trade them to teams in the playoff hunt later in the season to get their free agents.

Its all about "The Process". I look at everyone as an asset. How can my team get assets and turn them into more assets.

Other than that there are some things you learn by constantly playing. Like I've learned 5 star pitchers who only have 3 pitches and that 3rd pitch is an underdeveloped change up then they most likely will never ever develop. Such a huge risk. They still might be 5 star rated. But only reason I would get one is for trade bait. And you have to hope if he i a draftee that he keeps his rating up for 1 year so you could trade him next.

Also most of the time you might not see a prospects power for years and years. Say you draft a power hitter at 18. He might not show his power until 22 and he is in AA or AAA. Yes there are freaks that don't do that. But most players aren't that.

So you have to find several diamonds in the rough but also you need to develop consistent average MLB players.

Easiest thing to get cheap is probably relievers. and those 5 star SP prospects who never develop 3 pitches usually turn out to be great closers.

I might not trade for a lot of starting MLB talent. But I trade a ton of minor league guys back and forth. Love when I traded someone at 17 and I'm trying to trade back for him at 22 lol.

In my case I know I trade way way too much and its unrealistic but it gives me great joy so I allow it. I easily have over 20 minor league trades a year and those have multiple players attached for sure.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by jimmysthebestcop

I use the Rule 5 draft to gain assets. If I am a lousy team. There is no harm in signing 5-12 of them. Then right when spring training nears the end I am looking to trade them. Because Rule 5 happens first but lots of players get season ending injuries in spring training. So the AI needs good players and often you can someone who is average but that is good enough to bring you in a nice minor league haul.

Nobody has said but I get the impression the OP is playing with real players and you are playing with fictional players. My experience playing with real players is there are no hidden jewels in Rule 5 players. Maybe its different with fictional players.

[jimmysthebestcop]

Nope I only play real player with the start of whatever the current year is in.

If your a bad team you can find lots of Rule 5 players. Not all star levels but solid everyday players.

[marc5477]

There are many ways to break the game and become overpowered. I play with a bunch of self imposed handicaps just to keep it fair like 50% budget of average team and I still end up with a team that gets 100 wins per season. Not bragging, just point out that the game has some weaknesses.

1 - Abuse youngsters....

Its ruthless but it works. Basically, for star potential players, pull them up as soon as possible but rarely play them. Leaven them as bench players (or mid relief bullpen duty) or even just defensive subs for 1-3 years and resist the urge to give them play time. Why? Because it will lower their contract demands. After a 1-3 seasons of iffy stats, they will be much more pliable in negotiations. Dont bother with arbitration, go straight to locking them into long term contracts on the cheap. As soon as they sign, move them to starters. It works. I have locked in stars and super stars for literally 20% of their value for 10 years.

Some caveats. Never do this with a fragile player. They must be durable or normal.
Do call them up to the majors before they are fully developed. The reason for this is because you want to lock them in long term while they are still under 25 years old to get the best value from your long term deal. So ideally, you want to call them up before they are 22 that way with a 10 year contract, they will reach 35. Sometimes stuff happens like injury, early decline or them just sucking. Its ok because their salary is not back breaking. I can usually trade them for nonsense to clear up my budget.

2 - Troll free agency

Everyone wants the superstars.... but no one cares about the roll players and low tier stars until later on. Use this to your advantage. Look for guys who are cheap, pick them up early in free agency even if you dont need them. Keep the ones you want, trade the extras. You will get a bundle for them.

For example, every season there is always one or two good mid 20s post arbitration starters available cheap. They are not stars but can clearly play in the rotation. Their demands tend to be fairly low and since no one is competing for them early on, you can get them for their cheap initial demand. By the end of free agency, after all the stars are gone, your average guys suddenly look awesome to desperate teams still short a pitcher, or teams who have limited budget. Shop them around and marvel at the players you are offered. Mind you I set my game to difficult trading and I still get a nice selection of quality youngsters to pick from. This also works for hard to play positions like CF, SS, and 2B. It never seems to work for Catcher though.

3 - Draft well

This is hard to strategize because it depends heavily on scouting setting (I generally play on low) but there are some obvious tips.

Bird in hand is better than 2 in bush. If you see a good developed college player that is ready to play now, prioritize them over undeveloped guys.

Avoid fragile rookies unless he is out of this world good.
Avoid pitchers with 1 rating in change-up (odds are they will never develop).
Avoid position players who are atrocious at defense (I dont play with DH).

Late round picks to look for:

High eye + high speed/stealing = awesome
High Contact + High Power = awesome
High Avoid K + High Power = awesome

Stuff is much more likely to improve than Control and Movement. Prioritize the later.

[Waindizzle06]

Don't be afraid to lowball star players early in free agency, either. They may turn their noses up at your offer in the near-term, but if enough time passes without the player getting an offer more to their liking, they may come back to the table down the road. This happened to me in a historical replay dynasty I had going a while back; I needed a SS so I tossed an offer to Hanley Ramirez that was well below his original asking price and not even close enough to the point where we were able to find an acceptable middle ground. However, a couple months later when no other team stepped up he re-opened negotiations with me and I was able to get him for not much more than what I originally offered, which was a significant reduction in both years and AAV than his initial demands. (Just don't lowball them so badly to the point where they don't even want to talk to you anymore.)

[IanIachimoe]

watch the waiver wire & always try to add a prospect in a trade.

build a tough bullpen.

speed is underrated.

[IanIachimoe]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Nobody has said but I get the impression the OP is playing with real players and you are playing with fictional players. My experience playing with real players is there are no hidden jewels in Rule 5 players. Maybe its different with fictional players.

I've found one or two in 8-9 years.



lost a few good players.

[NoOne]

money is your ceiling. how well you use it is how good of a team you have. the true value of young and old mix is the mix of their contracts. for every club control or club-friendly player, you can sign more elsewhere.

if you have no money and need to build up prospects, i'd focus on timing of when you switch from loading up minors to cashing in on said prospects. when you have enough to build a core -- either trading them or keeping them -- then, you go ahead and pull the trigger on the switch in strategies. at that point a fw FA signings to fill in holes... or even if a 'too good to pass' FA in the 1-2 years leading up to this switch, but young enough to be worth it etc etc.. multiple forces at play... use common sense for timing. it's usually just a matter of using addition.

if you have some money, and i think the reds aren't that poor, you can start buying FA now... no bad contracts, though.... intend to use these guys for 2-3 years and trade before the end of their contract -- increasing MiL depth, hopefully in positions that will be aging on mlb roster in 3-5 years.

when you get to a point where all your decisions are about 3-5 years from now, you'll be a perennial winner. i bet the reds can get upto 180-200M payroll. once your fan interest catches up to all the forthcoming success, you can make plenty of revenue.

always push ticket price to achieve attendance goal -- as high as possible on price. if you have to draw it back teh next game due to a dip in attendance, that's a learning experience. figure out how you can increase it throughout season. at least an extra 20-40M/yr and likely worth the effort to learn for any team. (20-40M in winning years, not dumpy ones, also seems to go higher after a few consecutive years of success.)

anyway, with a 200M budget, you can have ~7-10 hof/asg quality guys depending on # and type of cheap contracts and # of younger players. not saying that's your cap of high end players... just the ones with 15-25M/year contracts.

if a player gets 40-100ab a year, don't invest much in that. it's an incredibly small slice of the pie. don't sweat the small stuff like that... the choices are mostly ubiquitious after a certain point. don't split hairs beyond the atom