SIM COMPLETE - 1983 - FA 1

[Andrew]

Next sim: Tuesday

[Spectre]

I got my backup 2nd basemen/3rd basemen, thus kicking off free agency for me :)

[Lintyfresh85]

Honestly Diesel... 9 Minor league free agents already? What in the world do you plan to with all of them?

[Clay]

Well, I have opened and closed, pretty much, my Free Agency. I wanted to bring Brian Greenham back as my backup Catcher and to play 1st against RHP (Bill Johnson will play against LHP). He can also play RF in a pinch. He's a great asset to have. Tried to resign him all season, but he wanted to test the waters. Turns out he likes the waters of mediocity in VA.... YES!!!

Looks a like a lot of the "big name" FA's out there aren't receiving any offers. Should be interesting.

I think a lot of folks are sitting out this season's go round.

On a plus (I hope), two AAA guys on my team who are expected to be major contributors on the BLB squad - Nate "The Skull" Magness and Joshua Poling - took a little bump up... even switching to a READY FOR THE MAJORS on the Minor League Report (for what that's worth) and both switching their Role Expectation to Playing in the Majors. I expect Poling to slide right into the everyday 3B spot and Magness to leave spring training as high as the #2 in my rotation.

Virginia Colonials in '84 - Youth Gone Wild!

[Clay]

Honestly Diesel... 9 Minor league free agents already? What in the world do you plan to with all of them?

Diesel being Diesel

[Lintyfresh85]

Yeah... but where is he going to put all of these guys? I took a quick look and I think he might already be full in the minors... unless he doesn't plan on adding any more guys, or he's got massive cuts ahead, where in the hell is he going to place all the guys? Just hoard them all?

[Clay]

Well, I believe there's a DFA Rule in place now, plus when we get to the long sims DFA has to be clean, so he'll have to do something then.

[Riverman]

Well, I believe there's a DFA Rule in place now, plus when we get to the long sims DFA has to be clean, so he'll have to do something then.

What exactly is the DFA rule that is in place now? Are you referring to something other than the fine that is in place for teams leaving guys on the DFA list beyond the time limit?

Diesel is probably planning on rotating a few guys on and off the DFA list until ratings get updated at the first of the year and then deciding whom he wishes to cut. I don't think the long sims start until after Jan 1.

[Clay]

I guess we technically never put anything on the books. We were supposed to discuss it in the 1984 Rule Changes thread but only ended up discussing CEIs, Rule V returns and Waiver Trades.

[Pat]

Honestly Diesel... 9 Minor league free agents already? What in the world do you plan to with all of them?

You should see how many pending minor league offers I have out there. 20+ for sure.

Yeah... but where is he going to put all of these guys? I took a quick look and I think he might already be full in the minors... unless he doesn't plan on adding any more guys, or he's got massive cuts ahead, where in the hell is he going to place all the guys? Just hoard them all?

Massive cuts.

Diesel is probably planning on rotating a few guys on and off the DFA list until ratings get updated at the first of the year and then deciding whom he wishes to cut. I don't think the long sims start until after Jan 1.

I have a bunch of scrubs in the minors. I'm going to give my head scout a chance to get a look at all of them one last time, and then I will make a bunch of cuts.

[Clay]

Raiding the village in an expansion year no less... tisk tisk... so much for gentlemanly sport of baseball. Expansion guys need to add 40+ dudes to their system each... and you're loading up. That has to sound shitty even to you.

[Pat]

Raiding the village in an expansion year no less... tisk tisk... so much for gentlemanly sport of baseball. Expansion guys need to add 40+ dudes to their system each... and you're loading up. That has to sound shitty even to you.

You could look at it that way.

Or you could say that I am remaining competitive in FA signings while others, *cough* you *cough*, have waved the white-flag. Because it is an expansion year, we should all lay down, and let the expansion teams have first dibs? These are the Batavia Muckdogs and Morgantown Mohawks, BLB teams. And one is in our division.

[Lintyfresh85]

Well no, but why is it that every guy I offered a minor league contract prefered your minor league contract to mine? Does it go strictly by how your team finished last year? If so, that's highly unfair... is it not?

[Clay]

Obviously we have two completey different philosophies on minor league systems, but that's not the point...

Though we accept that there are difference between real baseball and the BLB, the inability for the expansion teams to charter an existing independent minor league team puts them in a unique spot in having to fill a 50+ spot system during FA in active competition with 20 other teams. I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong... I just think it's not very inviting to new owners who are already strapped with a shitty team. 95% of the guys you'll sign in the next two sims will be cut, however they prevent expansion teams that really need them from using them.

Again... you're not doing anything wrong.... it's simply my opinion that the fun factor for the owners (especially new ones) trumps winning meaningless minor league titles... to me.

[Pat]

Well no, but why is it that every guy I offered a minor league contract prefered your minor league contract to mine? Does it go strictly by how your team finished last year? If so, that's highly unfair... is it not?

Thats not how it goes. I offered a bunch of minor league FAs that signed to much lesser teams. Example, Florentino Ledesma, OF from Virginia. He signed with Dallas, over me.