MLB The Show 20 Franchise Management Tips and Tricks

[SirManBoy]

Hi all,

Instead of the standard Q&A format that some threads have where the discussion is stoked by newbies asking for help about their specific problems, I figured it would be helpful to have a thread where experienced wannabe GMs could just post whatever tips and tricks they have for running a franchise that crosses their mind.

I’ll start with this one:

Spend a little over asking price to sign players to depth. Exceeding those expectations will result in a morale boost so significant that you will see a noticeable difference in the number of players you keep in a happy or even excellent morale status. I have virtually no malcontents on my team. Of course, this only works as intended by keeping your contract extensions short because player role expectations change automatically over time. You’re really only able able to influence them in this manner for a season.

[SirManBoy]

Another one comes to mind...

Say you want to drop some late 20s, C-level guys from your minor league system who don’t have attributes you can utilize and who you know don’t have a viable future. Well, package them up and see what trade proposals come through for them. You might see that a team is willing to offer you a deal that involves a young A-potential player along with some other junk you don’t need or want on your payroll. Well, cancel the trade but don’t fully back out of the trade screen. You’ll notice that the guys in the trade proposal are still populating the other team’s trade box. If you want that A-prospect, but not the garbage they packaged with him, then simply remove those additional players from the deal. You almost always see that the other club still wants to make the trade. This method also gives you an opportunity to inspect the attributes of the players these teams are offering you, which isn’t possible any other way in the trade screen.

[Caulfield]

I didn't do this for Show 20 but last year in Show 19, after pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, I arranged an emergency meeting that included my Orioles owner, myself (the Baltimore g.m.), 1B Chris Davis, and his agent. as everyone knew, there were two HUGE elephants in a room barely able to house one small baby elephant. the first elephant was Davis' on-field performance, the second, his exorbitant $92 mill remaining on the last 4 years of his contract. I asked Davis if really wanted to retire an Oriole, and if so, did he want to do that today, or in 4 years. I also told him if he was serious about going out a winner and not a wiener, we were going to have to rework his contract. the best I could do is still way overpay him $32.487,500 mill of that $92 million, and we would reinvest the remaining roughly $59.5 on surrounding him with better players. I also told him in no uncertain terms if he didn't play major league baseball for Baltimore, he sure as hell wouldn't play for any of the other 29 clubs. his agent immediately cried foul and wanted to end the discussion right then and there so to call the MLBPA. thankfully Chris Davis is a stand-up man and told his agent that wasn't necessary, he did indeed want to retire in 4 years (or later) an Oriole. so we reworked that albatross of a contract by releasing him, paying him $17.25 mill for 2019, $8.625 mill for 2020 and $4.3125 mill for 2021, then resigned him for 4 years for $2.3 million for a grand total of $32 mill plus change.



cut to the end of February we added Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez and Evan Gattis to bolster what previously was a sinking ship.

[SirManBoy]

Is there a broader tip here that applies to other situations? I mean, doesn’t The Show make you eat the remainder of the contract if you release a player in the middle of their deal?

[Caulfield]

Quote: Originally Posted by SirManBoy

Is there a broader tip here that applies to other situations? I mean, doesn’t The Show make you eat the remainder of the contract if you release a player in the middle of their deal?

nope, I guess Show contracts aren't guaranteed lol. the only thing extra I had to do was cut 3 insignificant minor leaguers to make room for my FA's (and ate those players $37,000 each contract) then remove 3 other guys from my 40 man roster and risk losing them through the waiver wire (no one claimed them). I would not do this with just any players contract but Chris Davis is an extreme example of not just overpaid, but waaay overpaid, and performing at replacement player levels (his overall had fell below 65). I really like Chris Davis so I did want him on the team, even though he is at best a Triple A player now. and in my universe he didn't want to be the reason responsible 24 other men had no chance at October baseball for the next 4 years. in my my g.m.'s eyes it was a win-win. a win for Davis to assure he would remain on the 25 man roster, and a win for the team itself in terms of getting better overall at the major league level

[Mackrel829]

This has quickly turned into a 'ways to cheat the system' thread lol.

[SirManBoy]

Another one...

Master the player search function. It’s a great way to scan the league for exactly what you’re looking for. Don’t be fooled by potential grades and OVRs. Know which attributes get results.

When it comes to hitters, I put a big premium on a combination of contact, power, and discipline. If I can get vision along with that, then great, but those players are rare and I can live with strikeouts when I have a player that scores 100 runs, drives in 100 runs, and has a .400 OBP.

When it comes to pitchers, H/9 and BB/9 are the biggest drivers for dominant pitching. Those kinds of pitchers consistently have a low WHIP and ERA. I will choose a B-level guy over an A-level guy if his H/9 and BB/9 are better. Scanning the league for pitchers who are 70 or above in both is a search you absolutely must rely on.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by SirManBoy

Is there a broader tip here that applies to other situations? I mean, doesn’t The Show make you eat the remainder of the contract if you release a player in the middle of their deal?

It makes you eat a portion of it.

There is a workaround.

You can drop the players attributes all the way zero and force them to retire at seasons end so you are not on the hook for their contract. I do this for CPU teams who have players locked into bad contracts and are playing them at the minor league level.

Not ideal but it helps the CPU be more active in the free agent market and helps reduce the number of good players in free agency when the offseason ends.