Free Agency

[KentCol]

When playing historic seasons, doe free agency come into play automatically when it did in real life? Also, were the free agent rules different than today? And, if so, can they be implemented in your replay? Thanks.

[No Pepper]

If you have free agency off then I don't believe it comes on automatically when it did in real life. One way I learned from the forum to play the era of the reserve clause, i.e., essentially no free agency but still have finances, is to have free agency set at 12 years and arbitration for 1 year. Players with 12 years service become free agents but every year before then they come up for salary arbitration. This essentially locks players on your team for a good amount of their career unless if you're unwilling to pay a player what they'd get in arbitration, you have to trade or release. I've only played this way a few years simming on a commissioner level so I don't know how well it operates while as a single team GM. Maybe others who have can chime in.

[Kelric]

Originally Posted by No Pepper

If you have free agency off then I don't believe it comes on automatically when it did in real life. One way I learned from the forum to play the era of the reserve clause, i.e., essentially no free agency but still have finances, is to have free agency set at 12 years and arbitration for 1 year. Players with 12 years service become free agents but every year before then they come up for salary arbitration. This essentially locks players on your team for a good amount of their career unless if you're unwilling to pay a player what they'd get in arbitration, you have to trade or release. I've only played this way a few years simming on a commissioner level so I don't know how well it operates while as a single team GM. Maybe others who have can chime in.

That is how I run my historical solo league, though I have the free agency bar set at 10 years. Works fine for me and some guys do definitely get cut or traded as their arbitration contracts keep rising.