RECRUITING

Recruiting is how you add new players to your team. Your starting roster is only the beginning. Recruiting lets you replace weak spots, find better fits, add depth, and build the team you want.

Recruits can be young prospects, older players, raw projects, or players who already have skills and talents.

The Free Agent list refreshes every hour with 8 available players. Each free agent is unique. Players can differ by:

• age
• attributes
• talents
• salary
• signing bonus
• long-term potential
• fit with your team

Some players may be brand new. Others may be former players from real managers' teams who were released back into the pool. That means you may occasionally find players already trained or developed by another manager.

The top 3 players in your Free Agent list are interested in joining your team. Interested players will take a signing bonus discount, which can make them easier or cheaper to add to your roster.

The rest of the free agents are still available, but they require their normal salary and signing bonus.

To sign a player, you need to be able to afford their salary and signing bonus. Salary matters because every team has a salary cap. You can't sign a player if adding them would put you over.

Before signing a recruit, check:

• their salary
• their signing bonus
• your available cap space
• whether they're better than your current players
• whether they fit your team's needs

Scouting helps you learn more about a recruit before signing them. You can use scouting to better understand:

• the player's potential
• their strengths and weaknesses
• how they might fit your team
• whether they're worth the cost

Scouting Reports can be purchased in the shop for $100,000. They're especially useful when you're considering a player who could become an important part of your team.

Look at recruits when:

• one of your current players isn't developing the way you hoped
• you have a clear weakness at a position
• you need a better pitcher, hitter, or defender
• you find a player with exciting talents
• you have extra cap space
• an interested player is available at a good discount

1. Check recruits regularly.
2. Pay special attention to the top 3 interested players.
3. Look for players who fill a real need on your team.
4. Watch your salary cap before signing anyone.
5. Scout players when you're unsure or when the player looks important.
6. Don't be afraid to move on from players who aren't fitting your plan.