Contracts for the Older Player

[HafDawg2003]

I've seen two different schools of thought and I'm struggling with this a lot myself.

Say in TBL I have a 33 year old (or MSL I have a 35 year old).

They want a four or five year contract. You know that will take them way past the years of useful, but you also don't want to lose them right now.

You can give the big contract and hope they retire... or you can let them walk.

Are they more likely to NOT retire if they have a contract with years left on it? Anything like that? Notice any patterns?

I've always been more conservative and let the player walk. What say you? What's your logic or thinking behind it?

[Kingdom]

Seems very unpredictable. I've had luck burying a dying player in single and them retiring (Derek Lee in HSL actually, he was still useful even). But some players are very resistant to retiring.

[Kingdom]

*single A

[HafDawg2003]

Yeah, I've always wondered if there is anything to actually burying them way, way down... ensuring they aren't in any lineup... and seeing what happens.

I'm always afraid to give out long term contracts to the older individual out of fear they drop... and then won't retire.

Some people I see go full power towards it, giving out contracts until players are assuredly going to be useless. Just not sure how well that works for them, if they are finding good success in retirements hitting at the right time or not.

Will try to study it more.

[Kingdom]

I'd extend an old guy when he's shown little to no decline. Eddie Collins retired with still good ratings for example. And if you have a fondness for a player, seems to make sense to just ink them (Collins serves as an example there too). But I'm not keen on it, they tend to be hard to move unless you give them up for nothing or if Mach has a hard on for them.

[Hammer]

i very rarely give contracts to guys if i think im gonna be wasting a year[s]. beckett is the first guy ive given an extension to [trendys league], knowing full well that his final year will probably be a waste... and then traded for cabrera under the same thoughts. cabrera was mainly a sell out move to try to win the world series this year... and beckett, i just like, hes been a great pitcher for me, and at 35 he wouldnt have netted me any compensation, so id rather eat that final year and get two years of solid, than risk losing him on the open market for nothing. but for the most part, im fairly stingy. but you know... no guts no glory.

[Kingdom]

I guess if you're in a good place with finances, less of a gamble. But it's a gamble period. I think Arizona is going to suffer the Oh contract, he's already a shell of the slugger he was

[Mach]

I might try some studies in the future since I've done most of my other research.