[matt2053]

How does the AI decide how much money I am allowed to spend on free agents, extensions, and/or staff signings? Or how does it decided whether or not I'm allowed to spend any money at all?

Matt

[Corsairs]

I'd also like to know the answer to this question. In particular, I'd like to know when the game cuts players off from future spending when the entire revenue is available (no owner control). Is it as soon as they're over budget and out of cash, or is there some built-in leeway?

[Red Sox Scout]

Hhmm, let's see. That's a broad question. Here's my stab at answering.

For signing free agents, the most important figure is "projected budget room". In its simplest form, projected budget room = your budget minus your current payrolls for players and personnel. In actuality it is slightly more complicated. It is your budget minus your total expected expense for the year for players and personnel minus any outstanding offers already made. You can't see your total expected expense for the year anywhere, but you can see your expense for year-to-date for players and personnel. Your expenses YTD include salaries already paid out (which is based on number of games played) plus any salaries for the rest of the year and following years that were paid off when players or personnel were released/fired). You CAN calculate the projected budget amount accurately only if you diligently track your actuals outside of the game. It works 99.9% of the time and takes a lot of understanding. Unless you want to spend a LOT of time tracking, then trust the games calculation of projected budget amount.

I should further say that the "player payroll amount" on the front office page does not always agree with the "player salary report". If you have any players with a minor league contract, it says that on the player salary report. But if at any time you have one or more such players on your 25-man (active) roster, then the "player payroll" under general information includes the minimum major league salary for each such player. In the off-season and especially in pre-season, you can have players with minor league contracts on your active roster. When Opening Day arrives, they will automatically start drawing the minimum major league salary if you have not returned them to the minors prior to opening day.

"available for player or staff signings" under "Owner Comments" is projected budget room plus cash but not more than the league salary cap. The description fails to say "but not more than the salary cap", but it IS part of the calculation of the amount available.

How did your budget get calculated? It = prior year gate revenue plus prior year playoff revenue plus prior year merchandising revenue plus current year media contract.

Hire a CFO

[Corsairs]

That's actually extremely helpful info, Red Sox Scout. I admit I'm still a little confused, but I think at least have a better picture now of how it works that I did before.

Let me just pose two specific questions. In those cases you mentioned where players with minor league contracts are left on the Opening Day roster and begin drawing a major league minimum salary, will they still be owed that full salary if they're optioned to the minors? Also, does this situation count as them signing a 1 year major league contract (hence making them free agents at the end of the season), or will they revert to a standard minor league contract and remain under your control the next season?

[Red Sox Scout]

Originally Posted by Corsairs

Let me just pose two specific questions. In those cases you mentioned where players with minor league contracts are left on the Opening Day roster and begin drawing a major league minimum salary, will they still be owed that full salary if they're optioned to the minors?

Yes, if you send them to the minors on or after opening day, they will be due one full year of the major league minimum. If you send them to minors before opening day, then you won't have to pay them for that year.

Also, does this situation count as them signing a 1 year major league contract (hence making them free agents at the end of the season), or will they revert to a standard minor league contract and remain under your control the next season?

Well, they probably wouldn't become free agents at the end of the year. Most likely they would be eligible for an automatically renewal salary still at the major league minimum or arbitration. HOWEVER, if you send a player who is making the minimum salary and it is due to be automatically renewed at the end of the season back to the minors BEFORE the end of the season, then his salary won't get renewed and he will be back to a minor league salary for the next year. I haven't figured out if that a "feature" or a "bug".

To further complicate understanding, some players making the minimum that you KEEP on your roster at year end will still revert to a minor league salary for the next year even though they never leave your roster through the off season. I THINK this happens when the player spent less than some minimum amount of time on the major league roster during the year. If you then send him back to the minors before opening day next year, he won't be paid a major league salary for the coming year. If you keep him on the roster, he will again automatically draw the minimum salary come opening day.

[thepbl]

The answer about becoming a free agent is solely based on his Years of ML Service. Default in OOTP is 6 years if im not mistaken - so as long as any player doesnt have 6 full years of ML service, then they will not become FA's.

To get the automatic renewed league minimum - the player must not have MORE than 3 years of ML Service. After 3 years service, he will begin his eligiblity for arbitration, the player is auto signed with whatever the arbitor reccomends. After 3 years of this or the 6 years of ML Service, the player must be signed by you or becomes a FA.

The 3 year and 6 year is the default setting for OOTP. If your in any online leagues it is best to get with the commissioner to see what he has it set at.

[thepbl]

Red Sox Scout, the auto-renew or not thing is NOT a bug but just what happens. Re-newing contracts is broken down between monetary ones and minor league contracts. of course players who never had a major league contract will continue to "re-new" until the day he retires.

so a player will auto-renew regardless but if hes on active roster once the Off-Season begins officially, he renews to the major league minimum. If he is in the minors he will renew to the freebie one.

the only thing i am unclear about myself is if and when ML Service keeps accumulating regardless of a players roster status.

[wlight1]

Originally Posted by thepbl

of course players who never had a major league contract will continue to "re-new" until the day he retires.

Wouldn't he actually become a minor league FA after 6 years in the minors without any time on the secondary roster?

[Red Sox Scout]

Originally Posted by wlight1

Wouldn't he actually become a minor league FA after 6 years in the minors without any time on the secondary roster?

If minor league free agency is turned on and assuming he's not on 40-man roster, yes. But more often than not minor leaguers who would otherwise become free agents will agree to sign a one-year extension as a minor leaguer if you offer it to them.

[wlight1]

Originally Posted by Red Sox Scout

If minor league free agency is turned on and assuming he's not on 40-man roster, yes. But more often than not minor leaguers who would otherwise become free agents will agree to sign a one-year extension as a minor leaguer if you offer it to them.

Really, that's too bad. I was kinda looking forward to running into that for the first time. Maybe I'll make a rule against abusing that feature for myself, although I've never been all that good at following those types of rules.

[conception]

Originally Posted by wlight1

Really, that's too bad. I was kinda looking forward to running into that for the first time. Maybe I'll make a rule against abusing that feature for myself, although I've never been all that good at following those types of rules.

In general, minor league free agents are easy to nab because they are just happy to get a job.