Why The Show's Trade Deadline Needs an Improvement - BenGerman's Blog

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Why The Show's Trade Deadline Needs an Improvement Stuck

Posted on August 5, 2013 at 12:01 PM.

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One of the most fascinating parts of Major League Baseball is the business aspect of it. Organizations will trade life long members of their squad like it's nothing, bring on players from rival teams, and trade some of the biggest names in baseball for just a few prospects that haven't even sniffed the majors. It's unique to baseball in that it's really the only professional sport where players are more like assets than they are human beings. On the surface, it seems like an odd component for a sport, but in a way, it's what makes baseball so wonderful. There is so much variance - whether that comes in the form of player performance or managerial decisions - that every year feels different. Often times, a team can look entirely different on a daily basis.

This excitement, in large part, is missing from MLB: The Show. That isn't to say that the game doesn't emulate certain aspects of the sport, because it does, but rather that the variance just isn't quite there yet. In large part, this is because it hasn't made an effort to make days (or weeks) like the trade deadline any more special than the one before it. Other things like the winter meetings or opening day don't feel all that original either, often being a mirror image of the rest of the season yet to come. So here are a few things I'd like to see added to MLB: The Show, and namely, the trade deadline in the game.

1. Dynamic Trading

There are probably going to be some who would argue that dynamic trading is already in the game. Teams will move from buyers to sellers based on their record (and their place in the standings), just not nearly in the way that they probably should be. I'd love to see veterans with big contracts being put on the trade block when their team is out of the playoff hunt, and even better yet, big name prospects being made available for a small market team that is looking to take advantage of the rare chance at a World Series. A teams position on buying or selling should be a dynamic experience in that it changes from day to day.

2. A Time Ticker

This is a little out of the box, especially given the current ceiling developers have on sports gaming, but I'd love nothing more than to see a ticker implemented during the last day of the trade deadline. One of the best parts of July 31st is that it is team's last* opportunity to make a move to improve their squad. Whether that be for the current season, or for future seasons. There's definitely a feeling of panic in those last few hours, and adding a time ticker would integrate that right into The Show.

3. Back and Forth

Ultimately, The Show's current formula for trades feels redundant and inconsequential. Rather than a give and take between two teams, it is way too black and white. Even having a trade finder would be a big step forward, because as it stands, you are lucky to get two or three offers from the CPU.

4. A Trade Block

Sure, The Show already has a trade block. Unfortunately, players on the trade block are often just as hard to go out and get as players off the block are, which defeats the purpose. I'd love to see something like a sortable trade block, where players are ranked by the game in terms of most available (for instance, in this trade deadline, Bud Norris would have had about a 70% availability, and Cliff Lee would have been closer to 10%), and by highest overall rating per position.

5. High Rated Prospects Should Cost More, Get You More

A prospect like Oscar Tavares could probably net you just about anyone on the trade block, where as a C or B level prospect would get you a mid-level veteran who is in a contract season. As it stands, The Show doesn't seem to value high rated prospects the same way GM's do in real life.

6. Everything Else

Cash should be available for trade, including International FA money.
Better overall logic. Players should fetch a higher price when they are low cost, and several years still left on contract.
Maybe an option for the user to create "franchise tags" on players. This way, we could sort out which players we think a team would never trade (AKA Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Bryce Harper, etc.).
Rank teams at the trade deadline. Maybe even just a "winners and losers" type of thing.
Trades should be more weighted towards player performance rather than all player rating.

Comments

# 1 Rufio2031 @ Aug 5

Someone got caught up a little too much on the trade deadline. These are insignificant features that aren't needed, and the trade feature isn't perfect, but holds its ground well enough. I also believe that The Show does do a lot of what is mentioned here. There are bigger and better things for The Show to be focusing on.

# 2 BenGerman @ Aug 5

I don't think that's ever true, Rufio. A lot of these apply to trading in general, which is an essential part of major league baseball. Just like I think NCAA should make a bigger deal out of Signing Day. What's insignificant to you may not be insignificant to others, myself included.

I think you mistook my post as a wishlist. There are of course other areas I'd like to see improved over the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean I don't think improvements can be made here.

# 3 geisterhome @ Aug 5

trading is definitely one of the weakest areas of the show, not only at the deadline. nice list.

# 4 NeptunePirate @ Aug 5

I agree with most of the article, very valid points on everything. I would love for the trading to be overhauled for next year, especially with the power that the PS4 will have behind it. I bet the development team is ecstatic with everything they will be able to add.

# 5 BenGerman @ Aug 6

Thanks for the comment, JS. As boring as this trade deadline was, I'm not sure the right move for The Show would be to neglect the feature. As I mentioned somewhere above, most of this stuff applies to trading in general, which is still very prevalent in major league baseball.

# 6 gausec @ Aug 10

I highly agree with you in all the above, I play sports games for the management aspect and controlling a dynasty if it could be more realistic I think you have to try to implant it.