Since I'm still new and there are apparently two million unwritten rules in this "game", I have a question. Let me preface thins by saying I don't plan on doing this but it crossed my mind. I have the second pick in one of my leagues and it is a not so good draft. Would it be highly frowned upon if I drafted a guy with the intention of not signing him so I can see if I can get a much better player, which is likely, in next years draft? Again, I don't plan on doing this but has it been done befor because it makes sense in a lot of ways.

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion

There is nothing wrong with this strategy. I've done it myself a couple times. I would recommend putting at the top of your list the best player you see who has his mother as his agent. Pretty much guaranteed to reject the first offer, which is enough to get the pick next season.

Perfectly fine.

Just make sure you save $8M in prospect cash to make the initial offer.  If you don't have enough prospect budget to meet your draftee's initial demands, and thus don't get an offer rejected, you don't get the pick.

Piggy-backing on dedelman, you do need to make an offer to get the pick , so make sure you will draft someone that isn't likely to accept it.

Posted by dedelman on 8/12/2012 10:55:00 AM (view original):
Just make sure you save $8M in prospect cash to make the initial offer.  If you don't have enough prospect budget to meet your draftee's initial demands, and thus don't get an offer rejected, you don't get the pick.

And make sure it gets *rejected* - don't just offer then withdraw. Make him reject it and either say - 1) I'm going to college of something; or 2) Give me this much more and I'll sign.

Thanks for the info. I don't plan on doing this strategy because i don't want to put money into the college and high school scouting budgets once again. I'd rather save it. But couldn't i just draft the best player and if I don't like him just offer him a low-ball contract? Or do you have to offer him what he wants in order to get the pick for next season?

Posted by Mark17Grace on 8/12/2012 3:09:00 PM (view original):
Thanks for the info. I don't plan on doing this strategy because i don't want to put money into the college and high school scouting budgets once again. I'd rather save it. But couldn't i just draft the best player and if I don't like him just offer him a low-ball contract? Or do you have to offer him what he wants in order to get the pick for next season?

You have to meet his demands and have them rejected.

word. so I assume I would just pick a guy that is represented by him mother? I may put the one guy I'd draft at #1 on my board and then a turd that won't sign as my #2 player and that way I'll be happy or hope to get a better player with the #3 overall next season. Either way, I'd be happy.

Posted by Mark17Grace on 8/12/2012 3:15:00 PM (view original):
word. so I assume I would just pick a guy that is represented by him mother? I may put the one guy I'd draft at #1 on my board and then a turd that won't sign as my #2 player and that way I'll be happy or hope to get a better player with the #3 overall next season. Either way, I'd be happy.

In all of the drafts I have seen, I have never seen a draft were the 2nd pick was going to be a dud. As the all time hits leader of the 90's, you should probably plan on getting a good player at that pick.

By being able to increase your draft scouting by 4 mil per category, it might be a good trade off to pick one spot down next season, but with better players to choose from.  However, you could get burned if the next crop of prospects is the same or worse than this year's crop.

I'm keeping the pick only because my team is drastically better this year and I don't plan on putting very much into my scouting budgets next season. I also plan on making a splash in FA as well. The guy i draft will be decent but not what I was hoping for by a long shot. I also don't have the balls to go out and do this. With my luck the kid I would draft would end up signing my first offer and I'd be screwed. Was more curious and thanks for the replies, guys.

I've punted a top pick because my scouting didn't find someone good enough to warrant that high of a pick. Then the next year I've been able to bump it up a bit more and at least try to get someone worth drafting that high. It's risky though, because sometimes those players sign anyway--and it's not a guarantee that he'll be good. I think there's usually only a couple guys each year in the Simmy AI top 50 who don't sign.

One question though... if you get the blue X, do you get compensation for the pick or only the red X?