I like it either way so fine by me

So every season I will be able to wait until October to decide whether or not I want to re-sign my players expiring contracts?

That's correct jonas.  You either resign them and give them a raise or release them into the auction after you've seen how they do in the real season.

Expiring contracts will have to be renewed in October.  An example, you have Pujold for 97-107-117.  His 117 contract year runs out.  In October you will have to announce whether you are resigning him to a new contract, and for how many years, for instance just one year at 132 or three years at 127-137-147. Or you can grant him free agency back into the auction.

I can't sitemail from work, so please try to sitemail the next guy in line when you pick please.

i am going to join bruce in the NL Central

No, once you sign a guy, you are committed to that contract regardless of whether he dies or flies off to Japan.

Let's use the Pujols example.  You sign him for 97. You are committed to pay him 97 for that one year.  In February, you decide to make it a three year contract for 97-107-117. You are now committed to paying him all three of those years, good ACL or not.

Staying with Pujols. You sign him for 97.  In February you decide you just want to leave him at a one year contract.  His salary is 97 and when October comes up you decide whether to sign him to a new contract, let's say another one year contract at 112, or another three years at 107-117-127. Either way, you are committed to those new numbers for the whole contract, injury or not.  Notice it would have been a lot cheaper to have signed him to the new three years in February than it was in October, but by awaiting till October you got to see him one more season before committing to him long term.

To Vitters.  You sign him for 5.  In February you leave him at a one year contract.  He does terrible, contract is over in October, he's released to free agency. He does great, you sign him to a five year deal in October for 13-21-29-37-45.  Notice, if you wanted to gamble, you could have signed him for five years in February for 5-13-21-29-37. Cheaper, but a much bigger gamble.

I know this is complicated, but I think it makes sense.  I've been mulling all the possibilities around in my head for a month now and I think this works best.

The problem I am trying to solve is having to sign someone, and then give him a raise before you ever get to see him play. I feel that would take all the value out of prospects which should be the most fun part of this league.

Then we are signing guys to multi-year contracts in February without giving them the first year raise, OR wait until October to give them the normal first year raise.

That's correct. 

Put my franchise in the NL East and get that division started

So if we're only drafting divisions and not stadiums, can the stadiums/cities end up in any division? I'd like a Western division and a matching stadium.

The stadiums will be in the auction with the players so you can buy any stadium you want.  I expect most stadiums will go for 2-3 in the auction.

Important difference between the leagues is the AL has the DH and the NL doesn't.

Which stadiums will be in the auction?

I will reside in the AL East. I hope that East coast bias is alive and kicking.

I'll go Nl west.