NML
Well-Known Member
So I've been wanting to try something for a while, and since we've been under-performing this year, I've started sending off pieces in order to start our rebuild. I wanted to make a thread to track our progress. There's a few bullet points of what I'm attempting to do:
1) triple the baseline for player development. I've always subscribed to the idea of doubling the baseline and everything past that has diminishing returns. For this rebuild, I'll triple and see what happens
2) max scouting budget, with a heavy focus on amateur and international. The latter is particularly important for finding IFAs as well as the shadow realm. When I had it maxed before, it produced this generated IFA and this and this shadow realm MLIFA.
3) asset collection and avoidance of burdens. Basically, a focus on having as many "assets" - which could be picks, prospects, or cash - that I can use to improve the team and avoiding any bad contracts. While Felix Alvarado won an MVP with me and carried us to two WS, and one win (flags fly forever), his contract and immediately dying after was a huge burden for me. I can't/won't do that again.
4) a universal approach throughout the minors. Below, I'm going to discuss my team strategy, but more importantly than that, we are taking that throughout every level of development. I'm not sure whether or not this will make a difference on player dev, but I do think it will lead to more success, which does affect dev. This will require me to manually control all four levels. Which is a ton of work, but I hope will help with immersion.
5) a organization wide strategy. Everyone who pays attention to my team knows I love defense. This approach is very simple and not really different from anything I've done in the majors, but instead I'll apply it to every level, as well as asset collection. I've had a bad habit of drafting/acquiring multiple trog bats despite hating them in the majors. This is, obviously, a waste of assets. For example, one offseason, my first round draft pick AND my top IFA were future DHs - combined, I believe they played 100 games for me before being released. Granted, they didn't develop like I hoped, but this is still an issue.
6) I'm also debating bringing back the GIMMICK pitching staff. On the fence. I don't think it has the same success that you would see IRL, but it is a cheaper approach - since the highest paid/most sought after players are starters, and you would need less (3 or 4) and they would likely stay cheap for you (when they go 1-10 every year). Meanwhile, you'd have one or two relievers with 20 wins who you could cycle through as they get expensive. Still considering this though, maybe @ZackMills will give his opinion on whether or not it worked (he does have two WS's)
My basic action plan at the moment
a) sell off every asset I have that doesn't currently fit. See ya Muli, Amore, and Ramirez (Brett did fit but was an expiring deal and I'd rather have the pick). Still lots more and I'm happy to get fleeced if you'll send me picks or prospects.
b) a complete overhaul of the minors. I probably need to wait until the off-season for this, less I have 12 players on my AA squad. But I'll start doing this slowly over the season and then go 100% once the playoffs get here.
c) resetting all budgets. Happens this off-season, should have plenty of room with all the selling I'm doing + a general year where we have a ton of space/TOs.
d) a draft board. I've already acquired a handful of picks this draft and if we are going to have any success with this approach, I need to take the draft more seriously.
I should say, this isn't a complete tank. Other than maybe this year, I hope to stay relatively competitive since bottoming out can kill a budget. I never do well tanking and prefer to stay interested in the season.
Nothing here is ground breaking. But I've felt a bit disconnected from my team over the past couple of seasons and hope this will help with immersion. Having a thread should help with that.
1) triple the baseline for player development. I've always subscribed to the idea of doubling the baseline and everything past that has diminishing returns. For this rebuild, I'll triple and see what happens
2) max scouting budget, with a heavy focus on amateur and international. The latter is particularly important for finding IFAs as well as the shadow realm. When I had it maxed before, it produced this generated IFA and this and this shadow realm MLIFA.
3) asset collection and avoidance of burdens. Basically, a focus on having as many "assets" - which could be picks, prospects, or cash - that I can use to improve the team and avoiding any bad contracts. While Felix Alvarado won an MVP with me and carried us to two WS, and one win (flags fly forever), his contract and immediately dying after was a huge burden for me. I can't/won't do that again.
4) a universal approach throughout the minors. Below, I'm going to discuss my team strategy, but more importantly than that, we are taking that throughout every level of development. I'm not sure whether or not this will make a difference on player dev, but I do think it will lead to more success, which does affect dev. This will require me to manually control all four levels. Which is a ton of work, but I hope will help with immersion.
5) a organization wide strategy. Everyone who pays attention to my team knows I love defense. This approach is very simple and not really different from anything I've done in the majors, but instead I'll apply it to every level, as well as asset collection. I've had a bad habit of drafting/acquiring multiple trog bats despite hating them in the majors. This is, obviously, a waste of assets. For example, one offseason, my first round draft pick AND my top IFA were future DHs - combined, I believe they played 100 games for me before being released. Granted, they didn't develop like I hoped, but this is still an issue.
6) I'm also debating bringing back the GIMMICK pitching staff. On the fence. I don't think it has the same success that you would see IRL, but it is a cheaper approach - since the highest paid/most sought after players are starters, and you would need less (3 or 4) and they would likely stay cheap for you (when they go 1-10 every year). Meanwhile, you'd have one or two relievers with 20 wins who you could cycle through as they get expensive. Still considering this though, maybe @ZackMills will give his opinion on whether or not it worked (he does have two WS's)
My basic action plan at the moment
a) sell off every asset I have that doesn't currently fit. See ya Muli, Amore, and Ramirez (Brett did fit but was an expiring deal and I'd rather have the pick). Still lots more and I'm happy to get fleeced if you'll send me picks or prospects.
b) a complete overhaul of the minors. I probably need to wait until the off-season for this, less I have 12 players on my AA squad. But I'll start doing this slowly over the season and then go 100% once the playoffs get here.
c) resetting all budgets. Happens this off-season, should have plenty of room with all the selling I'm doing + a general year where we have a ton of space/TOs.
d) a draft board. I've already acquired a handful of picks this draft and if we are going to have any success with this approach, I need to take the draft more seriously.
I should say, this isn't a complete tank. Other than maybe this year, I hope to stay relatively competitive since bottoming out can kill a budget. I never do well tanking and prefer to stay interested in the season.
Nothing here is ground breaking. But I've felt a bit disconnected from my team over the past couple of seasons and hope this will help with immersion. Having a thread should help with that.