Last week, I made some suggestions on how to get started with OOTP '16. But now that you have started your league and are ready to take control of your very own franchise, you may be wondering, "Well, what the heck do I do now?”

That’s where this guide comes in to help.

Before the season starts, you will want to take a good, long look at your team, but in two very different ways: present and future.

Remove Albatrosses

One of the first things I like to check is my future salary commitments. If you have an aging slugger entering his mid-30s and you're about to pay him over 20 million for each of the next five seasons, it may be a good idea to see if you can find another team willing to take that contract. If it's bad enough, you will come up empty handed. The best way to gain some potential suitors is to keep him in the lineup in hopes that a hot streak will get another team to bite.

Be Smart About How You Use Assets and Depth

You will also want to see what your future holds by taking a long look at your farm system. This is where the 'Prospects' shortlist that I referenced last week comes into play. Your everyday shortstop may not be anything to write home about right now, but if you have a 70 prospect that should be ready next year, or even later this year, you can focus on upgrading other areas.
 

It's a good idea to take a look at all of your prospects and compare what your future looks like compared to present day. If you have a weak rotation with only one or two starters over 50, and you have nothing waiting in the minors, you know it's time to focus your GM efforts on starting pitching. You can check free agency, but expect it to be tapped so close to Opening Day. So instead, take a look at what prospects you have in the minors. If you have a pair of catching prospects, don't be afraid to use one as trade bait to upgrade your rotation.

Understand Your Boss

Of course, you will also have to take a look at what your goals are for the upcoming year. If you have the owner’s goals feature turned on, the game will assign some goals for you. So if your owner is expecting a 90-win season, it's in your best interest to not enter rebuild mode just yet. If owner goals are off, you have more free reign to decide which direction to take your franchise.

If you decide it's time to rebuild, then sell, baby, sell! Hang on to those blue chippers, but any players with present-day value that do not factor into your plans down the road should be fair game. Try and collect as many prospects as you can and keep tabs on them throughout your career by adding them to a shortlist. Once you see your hard-hitting third baseman tearing up Double-A and then Triple-A, it’s time to consider a call up. But just like real GMs do, you can try and manipulate service time to gain an extra year of free agency. The Cubs’ Kris Bryant situation is a perfect example.

Be As Meticulous As You Want To Be

How you choose to advance time is completely up to you. You can take it day-by-day, making adjustments as situations present themselves. Or, if you prefer to see things more long term, you can sim for weeks, months or even years at a time. I would suggest starting with a month and going from there. Take a look at how your team performed over the past month and do some tinkering. Feel free to change the lineup if you think it will garner some more runs. Or if you’re just taking the GM approach, consider calling someone up from Triple-A to replace someone mired in a bad hitting slump.
 

However fast you choose to advance time, I would advise against simulating through the draft. You will want to handle at least the first few rounds so you can draft the players you feel will best help your franchise in the future. Take a look at your farm system and see what areas need addressing. But do not let positional need play more of a role in your decision than overall talent. Even if you don’t have any standout second basemen in the minors, it is okay to take the starting pitcher who could potentially make it to the hall of fame.

The Offseason Is Where You Make Your Money

Once the season concludes, it’s time to earn your GM paycheck. You will have to decide which players you want to offer arbitration, re-sign your own free agents and then use whatever cash you have left to try and woo other clubs’ free agents to your squad to address your areas of need. Make sure you do not cheap out on your initial offer trying to get a steal. Only make serious inquiries, because if you lowball a free agent he may refuse to negotiate with you any further. Be prepared to open your wallet, especially with the top free agents, because they will quickly lure you into an escalating bidding war with other ball clubs.

Once you have your team set, it’s on to Spring Training and then, once again, Opening Day. After your first full season, you will start to feel more comfortable with the game, and also learn how to adjust it to your liking. Do not be afraid to explore and play around with the game. You will learn just how customizable it is and realize that the game can be adjusted to anyone’s liking.