samuel davis will be a beast, even with only one good eye. will he DH?

NL team. That's why I hope to give him another year in the minors.

yeah, his fielding improved nicely last season. hope that DUR will jump, too.

My ML starter: http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=1222779

I took offers for both in hopes of moving one but they just weren't good enough. Catchers with good D(like Blankenship) who can hit 35-40 homers don't come cheap. Obviously Davis will be even better at the plate.

This guy: http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=1890938 is behind them. He should crush RHP but is defensively challenged.

can't see the projections obviously, but that jump in one season is great, and he has many years of development ahead of him.

During development if a player has an off year statistically but his ratings improve do you move him up a level or not?

I ignore minor league stats other than playing time. For the most part, I have a development plan for each legit BL player when I draft/sign him. Batters get a minimum of 1500 PA(although there are a few need based exceptions) with most getting closer to 2000 PA. Pitchers are going to get into 120 games with most going over 150 minor league appearances.

Advancement is based off those numbers and not production. Once a player hits the "magic number" in my head, he should be ready for the bigs. However, it's hardly an exact science. I do adjust the "magic number" as I go.

Nate Ward, 3:58 post, is taking the slow road towards the bigs because Blankenship and Davis are in front of him. Unless one of them gets dealt, he won't see the bigs until 2500+ PA.

When do you give up on a player. When his ratings drop or the stats drop or that big contract?

Tough question with no easy answer.

In season, I usually don't re-evaluate my line-up until 50 games or so. Even then, I'm more likely to play a guy with great ratings and poor stats over the poor rating/good stat guy. But the good stat guy will get more opportunities to prove he can keep it up.

In the off-season, it's entirely based on salary. If I can get value, I'll move the underperformer and replace him. But not with the guy he overperformed. He goes back to being a back-up who has to earn his playing time. If I can't get value, he'll start again the next season.

I'm more prone to believe the ratings guy will turn it around than the stats guy can keep it going.

To respond to your first point, I joined Happy Jack in S4. The first three seasons were full of horrible, horrible deals. Deals that should have been vetoed for the good of the league. Because they weren't, the world was full of haves and have nots. After much noise and conflict, the world has leveled off. Personally, I think HJ is a lesson in how to "save" a world. Had we continued down their S1-S3 path, I think we'd be one of those "Only need 11 to start!" worlds.

I started a thread long ago about trading. They may or may not be equal but they have to benefit both teams. Making an offer that doesn't help the other guy in any way is an insult to his intelligence. I'm open to all trades if I receive value. I dealt prospects in S7 of HJ because I felt I could contend. Prior to that, I was building so I was acquiring players who had upside. I always try to figure out what would benefit my trade partner. If he has 7 quality 1B, it makes no sense for me to offer hiim another. Most offers are preceded by a trade chat and/or a check of trade needs. I also see who he has on the block because, if he's trying to trade 3 2B, he's not seeking another. I often think I "lose" the deal in overall value but I'm content if I get what I'm seeking.

I'm usually in contention so I sometimes make a prospect for aging vet deal. My hope is the vet puts me over the top for a playoff spot. I've made a couple that didn't. Those are the worst because I lost part of my future for a failed playoff run.

In the beginning you picked Las Vegas but you did not say why can you win in any stadium?

I got married in Vegas. Yeah, I've won Dover(H), Rochester(N), Charleston(P) and Boise(H). Until the playoffs.