1983 Free Agency Discussion

[Clay]

So, how do we know exactly how much we are going to have for FA signings? I seem to have some cash right now but I am not being allowed to sign guys to extensions so I don't know if my "budget" is actually what I can spend.

You'll know a lot more after arbitration.

[Lintyfresh85]

Before arbitration can we choose to deny the arbitration request and let the player walk, or if the player goes to arbitration do they automatically get a contract for the next year?

I know in MLB at least you can choose to non-tender a guy and they don't get to have arbitration.

[spot]

You can release the guy prior to arbitration at no cost to you.

[Guest]

I swear I'm jinxed. Whenever I have money to spend on starters, there's hardly any good starters available.

[Pat]

Yeah, someone can get healthy quick this off-season. I have a few prediction on who I think it will be.

I took a look at some of the budgets.

Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Virginia, are some of the league leaders in budget room. The 1983 Stout division could be incredibly stacked.

[Riverman]

Joe Sierra is willing to negotiate a contract, and I have two sims to lock him up. If for some reason I don't, he is the best player on the market.

I wonder if there is going to be enough free money to sign all these guys? Is it possible that one of these guys is going to be asking for $20 million, and no one is going to sign him? Will his demands go down in March? Seriously.

There is a lot of money out there. I'll bet Virginia and Baltimore have enough to sign half the guys on the list and the rest of us can scrape together enough for the rest.

I am pretty sure if no one meets a guys demands he will reduce those over time.

[Riverman]

So..... who is the prize Free Agent???

obviously, I'm biased a touch... but I have to think Jimmy O'Laughlin is going to be a hot get. There are quite a few REALLY nice bats available, but not a ton of Starting Pitching. I think some Starting Pitching that is better than Jimmy might move this offseason via trade, but he's gotta be the prize arm on the market. Give the guy some run support and he'll be special somewhere.

If he had been pitching the way he did between 1978 and 1980 he would be but it is pretty hard to get excited about a starter with 5 wins and an ERA above the league average.

Did you move your fences in, by the way? I know you used to have the best pitchers' park in the BLB but maybe that is not true anymore.

[Clay]

Can't use wins as a factor in judging Jimmy though. Besides getting next to no run support, he also had a piss poor Defense behind him.

Yes, the fences did come in some, but it's still a Pitcher's park.

[Xavier12]

Is the BLB as infamous for overpaying for players as the MLB.

In my solo fictional league teams that can, throw a ton of money around at average players.

[Clay]

Is the BLB as infamous for overpaying for players as the MLB.

In my solo fictional league teams that can, throw a ton of money around at average players.

There are definately some big money contracts out there. A lot of them are deserved, but there are definately some over the hill guys who are still raking fat cash.

[Lintyfresh85]

There are definately some big money contracts out there. A lot of them are deserved, but there are definately some over the hill guys who are still raking fat cash.

Tim Murcott....

[Pat]

Tim Murcott....

....Tim O'Fay....

[Guest]

Tommy Drewery was way overpaid last year ($16,000,000), but it was only a one year deal with an option that I declined. Didn't really hurt me at all.

[Lintyfresh85]

....Tim O'Fay....

Really? I thought everyone paid 8.5 million a year for a .250 hitter.

But hey, he won the gold glove for the third straight year... so suck on that!

[Clay]

Bill Johnson just took his $16.5 million dollar option. He's probably worth that playing DH in the DL as he still can hit .300+, finds that gaps, and can take a walk... unfortunately he's in the IL with no glove and on a crap team. I moved him to first where he is doing less damage than before, but he's still a ton of money for a 38 year old bat.

Now, if I had a good team around him, he'd be worth it.