In Mays, we just began ST (5 games in), so I checked the FA pitchers. The first 9 guys I checked were asking two years exactly. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't sort by any talent factor either.

This seems to match what deanod and others are seeing in their world. Odd, one of the guys was 41 and garbage, yet he still wanted two years.

I should note we are just finishing up spring training (1 game ), so maybe they drop the 2nd season during spring training? But I did just check again and still can't find anyone asking for more than 1 season, even some guys that are unsigned Type A/B.

CS sez:

Dean,

The demands will decrease gradually throughout ST. By the time ST is over most of these player's will be asking for one year deals.

That explains the difference in what we were seeing in different worlds, but it doesn't answer your complaint, if it actually happens. You seem to insinuate that players drop their demands during FA period (i.e. they will sign a 1 year deal). But after FA period, the demands raise again (i.e. they won't sign 1 year deal). Then, during spring training, the demands lower again. I can't say that I've ever seen this, but can't say that I've paid close enough attention either.

Did you ask CS about this? If this is how it actually works, then I agree that it's not very logical. It seems the logical solution would be a gradual drop of demands from the start of free agency to the end of spring training.

the basic flaw behind it is the change in signing logic after the signing period ends. it switches from "submit and wait until the end of the cycle" to "submit and get accepted/rejected immediately."

in the case of the former, players will accept deals that are a year shorter than their demands, in the latter they won't. thus, you have an inconsistency in the signing process.

It's sort of logical though. The player has dropped their salary demands so far from their original request that if they're going to be getting 1-2 mill, they might as well sign for 2 years and get more money out of it.

Before they would've accepted a 1 year deal if you'd given them 3-4 mill for that one year.

Though as I said, FA could use some tweaking on from a gameplay and realism sense anyway. Basically nobody should sign a contract until after the 3 highest paid players have been signed and from there everything would cascade down. Or at least it should be somewhat similar to this.