Hey guys,

So I was bidding on an international free agent over the last few days. Today around 3pm I got a note saying I was the highest bidder and if nothing changed he would sign. Four hours later I got a note that he had signed elsewhere. No notice in between that I was no longer the highest bidder. I bid 8.5M, he would sign for 8.9M. So how does this work? Is there a set timetable as to when they will sign that I'm unaware of, allowing someone to swoop in last minute and bid? Do all IFA's sign after the same number of cycles?

Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

I don't think anyone truly knows the answer to your questions, but that is always frustrating when that happens. I think all of us have experienced this a time or two. Happens to me a lot in regular FA.

That's always tough. I guess if I really want the player and I know there are others bidding every cycle, then once I know I have the top bid, I need to up it just a tad bit more.

Posted by tlowster on 12/14/2019 7:44:00 AM (view original):
That's always tough. I guess if I really want the player and I know there are others bidding every cycle, then once I know I have the top bid, I need to up it just a tad bit more.

Interesting perspective and real life example ... TEX Rangers went to bed with high offer on Rendon @ 6 years; overnight Angels offered 7 years. Boras/Rendon did not go back to Rangers for counter.

Posted by 2xRedRaider on 12/16/2019 11:00:00 AM (view original):

Posted by tlowster on 12/14/2019 7:44:00 AM (view original):
That's always tough. I guess if I really want the player and I know there are others bidding every cycle, then once I know I have the top bid, I need to up it just a tad bit more.

Interesting perspective and real life example ... TEX Rangers went to bed with high offer on Rendon @ 6 years; overnight Angels offered 7 years. Boras/Rendon did not go back to Rangers for counter.

Yep. I guess the difference is that in real life, offers get leaked to the public nowadays so the transparency is there to strategize around what you know.

Whereas in the Sim, the only thing you know is if you're the high bidder at a single point in time. If you want to be sure to get your guy, you are almost required to Max out the contract of an FA or spend your entire wad on an INTL.

I just had a guy outbid me by 50k for a player I was #1 on for multiple cycles. This is why people are leaving HBD

Always put in the max your willing to offer. IFA classes are too thin to monkey around with Price-Is-Right bidding games. Can't say for sure, but I feel like it's pretty likely the system has a conditional programming of "if player has not received a better offer for X consecutive cycles, then sign". If so, I wanna say it's somewhere around 2 real life days but haven't paid close enough attention to give the precise # of cycles. Also pretty sure it adjusts (maybe even resets the clock?) if you increase/reduce your own currently winning bid.

I'm in NO way certain this is how it works, but we know from a long time ago leak that the IFAs come out in a predetermined order at predetermined times.
So, wouldn't the easiest thing to program be: "sign the highest existing offer at X date and time"?

As brian said, bid your personal max. If someone else beats you, fine. But if you really want a player, don't mess around trying to win cheaply.