Duval wrote:
Also, If you are the one initiating the trade, perhaps you should look over what the other team would be in need of before sending it out. I get a lot off offers where owners are just trying to dump useless and old players for picks becuase the trade score adds up.. the players they offer would be 3rd string on my team and they ask for 2nd and 3rd picks. It's a bit like they are fishing for a sucker to accept. If you send me trade offers over and over like that. I may be a little insulted
Just clicking the trade box on the player card isnt enough when time is an element when it comes to making trades. Figuring out each individual owners player weights is impossible because 32 owners may see the same player very differently. If I have to make some hard cuts to get my roster down to the limit, the best way to accomplish this is to make a trade before just cutting someone.
The most sucess I have had when it comes to trading is to send the same trade to every owner along with a PM stating that fact plus I am open to alternate offers. Its time consuming because if the league is full, you have to make 31 seperate trade offers and in each case make sure the trade value is balanced. Yes, Im fishing for someone that would be interested but I am not looking to upset any owner or rip any owner off.
If I can trade a player that I have to cut and get value for him in return, why wouldnt I or any owner for thay matter. I may have to cut a player for multiple reasons, too many players on roster, free up cap space for free agents or draft picks, or simply to get under the cap in general.
Some owners say well you are trying to trade a player you are gonna cut so you are ripping someone off. I disagree with that as well because cutting a player does not guarantee any owner will get that player on the waiver wire. It goes by worst record to best record and if you have a good team that isnt at the top of the waiver list then giving up a future 4th or 5th to secure that player may be worth it to that owner.
The bottom line is this....roster management is approximately 40-45% of this sim (90% in roster only leagues) and as an owner, you should never cut any player without exploring the opportunity to trade that player 1st. Since most cuts need to be made within a 24 hour period, you have to be proactive and send out trade offers to create a market for thay player. Obviosly a 40/45 DT that busted hard in training camp isnt worth the time to seek a trade partner because that player will have no value. Im talking about players that may have value to some owners. Also age should not be a deterrent when it comes to sending trade offers, in a perfect world every owner wants 2-5 year players but I can make a case for plenty of 8-10 year veteran players. How many owners sign aging veterans in free agency when they have a position of need to low value/low risk contracts? If you have a playoff ready team and suffer a season ending injury at say MLB1, free agency is a waste land and you receive a trade offer for a 10 year MLB that would immediately start, would that player be worth a future 4th or maybe even a 3rd? It all depends on each individual owner.
I had a team that consistly made the playoffs, we were an offensive machine with a stud QB. We always fell short in the playoffs losing shootouts like 42-38 and 45-42. The problem was as much as we could score, we couldnt stop anyone because no matter how many DBs we drafted to sure up our secondary, they would bust and free agency was a ghost town. I finally traded for a 9 year CB rated in the 90s which helped this team reach the promised land.
My point is that EVERY OWNER that needs to cut a player with any value at all should be exploring trading that player first. Whats better cut and recieve nothing but cap space or trade and get a 7th rounder plus cap space? I have never logged into the game, saw that I have recieved a trade offer and been annoyed. Sure I have recieved some horrible offers and I have rejected them with a PM explaining why I felt it was a bad offer. I keep my reply civil and simply state the facts that my 90 speed CB1 plus a 2nd round pick is worth way more then a 85 rated RG despite what the trade value meter says.
Honestly, I believe that the predatory trading done by some veteran owners to newbies would end if the trade value system was fixed. A RG rated 90/92 with a trade score of 2600 isnt worth more then a CB rated 85/90 with a +90 speed, m2m and b%r and a 70/75 RB with +90 speed plus you have to throw in a 2nd rounder to to reach the 1300 necessary to balance the trade. I do get why owners find trading to be broken and see every offer as a scam. I dont know how to change that and I wish I did because I love trading, it is a great part of this game, trading one on one with another owner, negotiating a deal so both owners feel they helped their team.