Will all big time star players test the FA market at some point? 

I would like to get a shot at a player like this one. 

http://whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=3347501

Thanks

More likely than not.

In other news, you can draft guys like that yourself, too.

Or sign them as IFAs.

If they're good enough to be a type A free agent, they will test the market-- but if managed correctly they can be kept 100% of the time by their initial franchise for 11 seasons (less 21 days), which means that for the most part you will only see players like this (a) if you develop them yourself or trade for them, or (b) you acquire them as free agents in their early-to-mid 30s.

Posted by iain on 5/1/2011 5:28:00 PM (view original):
In other news, you can draft guys like that yourself, too.

Or sign them as IFAs.

You cant draft a guy like that if you field a competitive team. I am yet to see a player like that drafted out of the top two picks. And in my five season I am yet to see a IFA SP even close to this guy. 

I'd be ****** if I ended up with a guy like that with a Top 5 pick.

iain-- seriously?  I'd be ecstatic if I got this guy at #3, and he'd be an acceptable 1-2 pick in many or most drafts.

mr_gone-- It used to be you could get guys like this 1-2 times per season in INTL if you spent enough money... but I've been seeing a change in the distribution of INTLs, though, in recent seasons, with more decent players but fewer studs.  In which case you'd have a hard time getting a guy like this, and in any event you need to budget $25-30M in prospect (ie, you have to have $10-20M in payroll to transfer on top of $20M at the outset of the season) to sign a guy like this. 

Anybody else notice the change in INTL players, or am I imagining it?  My budget is rarely anywhere near 20 in INTL, so maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention to other guys' signings.

Hmm maybe there is a difference in talent level from a new league and one that has been around 20+ seasons. We just ended the 4th season. And this guy lead his team to a WS. 

He doesn't have any Cy Young awards.

Posted by MikeT23 on 5/1/2011 5:53:00 PM (view original):
He doesn't have any Cy Young awards.

That does not mean he is not one of the top 10 in the league. 

I could have linked whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx  They don't get much better the him. 

But it was not about who is the best.  It was about will the top players become FA at some point. I don't know if its like this in all leagues. But in the one I am in no one will move a top SP without a huge over payment. 

Just countering your "And this guy lead his team to a WS" comment. 

He did just lead his teams to a WS. He was 4-0 with 45ip   .166ova  .71whip  1.00era  and he missed the CY again this season my 2 votes. 

I would argue Rickey would qualify as a big time player. 3 time MVP, .330-50-120 every year. Just locked him up for another 3 years at just 5.6 million in the prime of his career.

In his defense, the overall talent level in that world is pretty horrid.  The worst I have ever played in.  In this world, Tejada is a big-time pitcher.