SIM COMPLETE - 93-94 - OFF-SEASON 2

[Clay]

Ouch!!! Has anybody seen Virginia's payroll lately???



Break out the chainsaw, scalpels need not apply.

It's not as bad as it looks. Jerry Daly going Super 2 hurt, but I'll have it squared up before ST.

[Clay]

I think one team to watch is the BLB Champs. Lots of money to spend.

I was suprised he let Hidalgo walk. Must have wanted too much.

[Jistic]

We have no money. The media contract is killing us. We have the highest attendance in league history yet that doesn't translate to media money.

[spot]

I was suprised he let Hidalgo walk. Must have wanted too much.

He did. I am not sure he will perform up to what he was asking. With the FA class what it is I think I made the right call...

[Dave]

It says a lot about the free agent crops in this league that this year's class is viewed as some kind of super-bonanza.

[umd]

plenty of money to play with...wish I could push that payroll ceiling.

[Clay]

It says more about the short memory of this league if people think a championship team has ever been built in free agency.

[umd]

It says more about the short memory of this league if people think a championship team has ever been built in free agency.

You can pick up valuable pieces in FA, but you win through the draft. That being said there are some significant players that can fill needs in this class - if you can fit them in your budget. I actually see the studs in this class going to the teams with the lowest payrolls who have nothing to lose by filling up their cap space and sitting on them and dealing them for picks/prospects during the season.

[Carlos]

It says more about the short memory of this league if people think a championship team has ever been built in free agency.

Agreed. Though, I think if someone can find that last piece then it'd help.

There are some good players out there that could be the last needed piece to a team built through the draft.

In other news, I find it sad that one of the best defensive shortstops of the 80s is now 40-years-old and because of injuries and age is no longer capable of playing his natural position.

Happy Trails to Jose Sanchez. You were a sight to pretend to watch.

[Delandis]

You can pick up valuable pieces in FA, but you win through the draft. That being said there are some significant players that can fill needs in this class - if you can fit them in your budget. I actually see the studs in this class going to the teams with the lowest payrolls who have nothing to lose by filling up their cap space and sitting on them and dealing them for picks/prospects during the season.

Agreed. The newest BLB champion picked up two of their best post season pitchers in FA so there is value in FA.

[Sully]

It says more about the short memory of this league if people think a championship team has ever been built in free agency.

I don't remember seeing anyone say that...

What sets this class apart from most is that there are a few very talented players that aren't 34+. There are some pieces a team can add that will help in 3-4 years just as much as they would in the upcoming season. That's a far cry from the yearly rentals that make the list every offseason, making it a snore.

[umd]

I don't remember seeing anyone say that...

What sets this class apart from most is that there are a few very talented players that aren't 34+. There are some pieces a team can add that will help in 3-4 years just as much as they would in the upcoming season. That's a far cry from the yearly rentals that make the list every offseason, making it a snore.

Those FA rentals can be pretty helpful. I got Cannell and Washington on 1 yr deals to fill space and both played a large part in us going from 62 wins to 89. Thing is, it can get frustrating trying to rental your way to mediocrity every season.

[Clay]

What sets this class apart from most is that there are a few very talented players that aren't 34+. There are some pieces a team can add that will help in 3-4 years just as much as they would in the upcoming season. That's a far cry from the yearly rentals that make the list every offseason, making it a snore.

Agreed

You can pick up valuable pieces in FA, but you win through the draft. That being said there are some significant players that can fill needs in this class - if you can fit them in your budget. I actually see the studs in this class going to the teams with the lowest payrolls who have nothing to lose by filling up their cap space and sitting on them and dealing them for picks/prospects during the season.

That's really why it never gets parlayed.... guys who go into FA with a $10-$20.0 payroll can outbid everyone and, unless they've killed it in the draft, they don't have the homegrown pieces to do it.

Agreed. The newest BLB champion picked up two of their best post season pitchers in FA so there is value in FA.

LA didn't win because of their FA's... LA won because they had nice piece and a #1 overall pick that found his groove.

However, even if we concede that and ignore the fact that he actually cut two FA signings before the playoffs... that'd be really the first. Virginia, Maine, Washington, Wilmington, etc... all the other Champs did it via draft and trades.

I'd love to see it change. I wish FA was a bigger part of the league.

[umd]

I'd love to see it change. I wish FA was a bigger part of the league.

That is more of a payroll balance issue - you're not going to see your bigtime players hit FA because most of us are smart enough to trade them before they hit (barring unforseen things like injuries) for similar talent or several high prospects and multiple 1st round picks. Even the now capped out teams can move semi-stars and valuable vet players for prospects/picks.


If those marquee players do hit FA, your best teams that are already established - not your rising teams with cost controlled stars (min contracts or arbitration) - won't have the money to bid with the lowest payroll teams. Those lowest payroll teams are smart enough to overpay a little (or a lot) knowing they can move those players at the deadline or (worst case) sit on them with no real payroll penalty since they are so so far under anyway.

[Carlos]

I'd love to see it change. I wish FA was a bigger part of the league.

I don't. That's our league and it makes things interesting.

I find it really astonishing when Andrew and Pat built through the draft, won and still found good pieces in the draft. That's a very difficult thing to accomplish.

But that's the early part of the league. I think for now you get credit for being the first mini-dynasty (still early) that used the formula of building through the draft by being bad. Can you stay up there and succeed like they did?

And that's ignoring the many other owners that were also bad, built through the draft and have maintained very good teams. Not every very well run team wins a championship.