In the Coach / Personnel section, the manual describes them this way:
Quote:
Handle Rookies - The ability to work with rookies. Higher handling ratings can positively affect a player’s development, performance, aging, and more. For the purpose of this rating, all players under the age of 25 are considered rookies. Note: This is not the definition of “rookie” used to determine rookie award winners.
Handle Veterans - The ability to work with veterans. Higher handling ratings can positively affect a player’s development, performance, aging, and more. For the purpose of this rating, all players with at least 10 years of professional experience are considered veterans.
Handle Players - The ability to handle players. Higher handling ratings can positively affect a player’s development, performance, aging, and more. For the purpose of this rating, all players who are not rookies or veterans, as described above, are considered players.
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"Prospects" lies outside of these definitions. For the purposes of strategy settings, I think of prospects as rookies with great potential. I do not consider ballplayers 25 and older or those with more than 10 years of professional experience as prospects, as their potential at that point is pretty well known.
So the strategic coaching choice would be going with (selecting and playing) older, experienced players who are known quantities versus a preference for young players with unproven but possibly great potential. This is an ongoing strategy setting, not one that you change from one season to the next, IMO. You could slide it toward the veterans side as a class of young talent ages while on your team. I just don't see that happening IRL, however. I look at it as an innate tendency that is not going to change with the current composition of a manager's team.