Here is a way to make ADV scouting relevant.  I haven't thought this through too much yet, but feel free to shoot holes in the idea or improve it...

Create Scouting groups or companies instead of just budgets (e.g. ABC Scouting Co.). 
Provide 4 ratings for each company that vary.  INT/COL/HS/ADV.

None of the ratings can be zero.

Combine all scouting budgets into a single category.  You will only have access to how much they spent on scouting overall.  You have to depend on your own.  (i.e. you can't assume that because Player A spent 20M in HS that you are safe in trading for his 1st round HS pick from 2 seasons ago).  You won't have access to other team's scouting team ratings. 


Bid on scouting companies in the offseason, much like hiring coaches, but do it in a shorter cycle and finish before FA.



Change player development into pre-programmed plateaus (time of plateau based on AB's, Coaching, IP, etc.)  Maybe a guy's power doesn't take a huge jump until he's 21.  Or a pitcher learns a 3rd pitch in his 3rd season.



Again, I haven't thought this all the way through; maybe that's where the rest of you smart guys can come in and shoot this down.

(Edited a few words for clarity)

 it's an interesting thought but WifS probably would think it's too much of a change. Afterall, they are owned by FOX ;)

According to Marge Schott, nobody needs scouts because "all they ever do is watch baseball games".

Well, not really to expand on your idea but I did pick from this:  "Combine all scouting budgets into a single category.  You will only have access to how much they spent on scouting overall.  You have to depend on your own.  (i.e. you can't assume that because Player A spent 20M in HS that you are safe in trading for his 1st round HS pick from 2 seasons ago).  You won't have access to other team's scouting team ratings." 

Why should anyone else know how much you spent on scouting period?   If you drop my ability to see what you've budgeted on anything, ADV is suddenly more relevant.  Short version, I don't know if that first rounder was chosen with a 20m budget or an 8m budget.    Nor should I.

Even better Mike.  I think payroll itself is fair game - everything else should be "Everything Else" or whatever.

Current payroll.    There's no reason I should know how much cap room you have.   If I offer you a deal that puts you over the cap, you can reject it and tell me it's a cap issue or you can just reject and tell me nothing.

I really think several HBD evils can be removed by keeping budgeted items private. 

Posted by MikeT23 on 4/21/2011 3:30:00 PM (view original):
Current payroll.    There's no reason I should know how much cap room you have.   If I offer you a deal that puts you over the cap, you can reject it and tell me it's a cap issue or you can just reject and tell me nothing.

I really think several HBD evils can be removed by keeping budgeted items private. 

+1

>>Change player development into pre-programmed plateaus (time of plateau based on AB's, Coaching, IP, etc.)  Maybe a guy's power doesn't take a huge jump until he's 21.  Or a pitcher learns a 3rd pitch in his 3rd season.<<

After further thought I would want to clarify that the pre-programmed plateus would be individual by player and they vary according to the items above.

 

This is really three separate issues

1.  Revamp the scouting
2.  Change what is visible to other owners
3.  Change development patterns.

I suppose each can be done independently...

Posted by MikeT23 on 4/21/2011 3:30:00 PM (view original):
Current payroll.    There's no reason I should know how much cap room you have.   If I offer you a deal that puts you over the cap, you can reject it and tell me it's a cap issue or you can just reject and tell me nothing.

I really think several HBD evils can be removed by keeping budgeted items private. 

+1, except that I would suggest showing everything you've already spent on any kind of salary or bonus.  Current payroll, coaches' actual salaries, actual amount already spent on prospect bonuses; in short, the stuff you can already look up elsewhere that is in the "public record," just summarized in one place.  Really a trivial modification of Mike's idea.

It would slow down the trading process-- but only by the time it takes for someone to respond to a simple trade chat, saying "How much money can/will you take on?"

Might open up more dialogue before the blind offer.   Instead of "He has 4m in cap space.  I'll offer this overpaid turd for his best prospect because he can afford it", the offering owner would do well to ask "You want this overpaid turd?"

Posted by silentpadna on 4/21/2011 4:18:00 PM (view original):
This is really three separate issues

1.  Revamp the scouting
2.  Change what is visible to other owners
3.  Change development patterns.

I suppose each can be done independently...

I tend to look at what I think is...
1.  Easy enough
2.  They might do

I don't think revamping is an easy task and, with the game being pretty good as is, might not be necessary.    However, providing a "hide" button like the one we use for scores might be a quick fix.   If they do a quick fix, we can see what sort of effect it has on the other issue.   Now hiding budgeted items won't change development patterns but it will destroy the 0 ADV trade strategy I currently use.   And I'm dumb enough to be a proponent of wrecking my strategy. 

+1 I've wondered since I started why financial stuff is visible to everyone. I wonder even more if "they" even look at customers suggestions let alone act on them.