Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts)
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I've encountered this issue before, but just encountered it again and it's highly frustrating.
I'm currently in the offseason and trying to sign some free agents. I tried signing some unranked free agents after the arbitration deadline, they got added straight to the 40-man. I thought that it was because of the Rule-5 draft locking 40-man or something, so I reloaded my save and waited until after the Rule-5. I signed 1 player, backed out and verified that they were not in fact added to my 40-man. I then proceeded to sign more players, none of which were top 150 free agents, so they all signed immediately. Once I backed out and checked again, my 40-man is suddenly 47 because the other players signed went onto the 40-man.
Why is this a thing? I don't know why this game hasn't added a means to differentiate between minor and major league contracts, but there should be at least some way to know whether a player will be added to your 40-man other than guessing. Why is this left to some unknown arbitrary overall decision or something and not left up to the player? It's incredibly stupid and frustrating.
Edit: I tried again on this save, waiting clear until the start of spring training and I STILL can't sign players without them being added to my 40-man. I then waited until the start of the season and the players are still added to my 40-man.
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@PsychoSekVT_PSN because instead of making substantive improvements to franchise, like, I don't know, actual relocation and realignment, or the ability to play High A teams, editable managers and coaches, retired players joining the coaching pool, having NRIs for Spring Training that don't have to be placed on the 40 man to play with the Big League club, SDS thought it would be a good idea to make FA signings annoying.
I could go on. But, you get the idea. They had a whole YouTube blitz to say that they made Franchise Mode more exciting. Only to them. I don't think they even know baseball. Let alone like it.
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When the do spend developer resources on franchise it sometimes is on things I never use. Critical situations is an example. March to October another. They slowly but surely improve franchise but is a grind.
Still I love the game and franchise is the only mode I play. It's great but there is room for improvement.
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I think SDS made a game better than the awful 2K baseball games 15+ years ago and have just mailed it in since. I remember buying a PS3 just so I could play The Show back then, but now I'm just increasingly frustrated every year.
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I haven’t encountered this issue with the players automatically added to 40 man and I’ve gone through 15 offseasons. I’ve had 2 issues that were new to MLBTS25, submitted tickets and both were resolved. I do agree that it would be nice if it were clear whether the FA being signed is getting a major or minor league deal. Usually when I’m signing unranked FA, I’m signing players that have never been in the majors because I’d rather pay 60k for a seat filler rather than 780k.
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It may be a glitch but are you sure those players don't have to be added to the 40 man roster?
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2009/1/4/703125/the-40-man-roster-how-does
There are a number of different ways for players to make their way onto a team's 40-man roster. Perhaps the most interesting additions (at least to fans of teams that rely on prospects to compete) are players being protected from the Rule 5 draft. Players meeting certain conditions must be added to their organization's 40-man roster or they become eligible for the Rule 5 draft. The eligibility requirements: Players who were 18 or younger on the June 5th preceding the signing of their first pro contract must be added after five minor league seasons. Players who were 19 or older must be added after four minor league seasons. This offseason saw the Brewers add Omar Aguilar, Alexandre Periard, Mark Rogers, and Cody Scarpetta to their 40-man roster rather than expose them to the Rule 5 draft. On the flip side of the equation, players who are picked in the Rule 5 draft are automatically added to the selecting team's 40-man roster. Eduardo Morlan is an example of this on the Brewers.
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I think the service time and whether they have options remaining plays into the placement onto your 40 man roster.
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One way to handle the rule 5 draft is to take a player and then trade him for better value. For example Brendan Rodgers was in the 2026 rule 5 draft in my franchise. I picked him and then traded him to fill a need.
Some are under the false impression you must keep a rule 5 pick on your 26 man roster or give him back to the team you got him from. Better to trade him than do that.
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@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
One way to handle the rule 5 draft is to take a player and then trade him for better value. For example Brendan Rodgers was in the 2026 rule 5 draft in my franchise. I picked him and then traded him to fill a need.
Some are under the false impression you must keep a rule 5 pick on your 26 man roster or give him back to the team you got him from. Better to trade him than do that.
This is true, but the real life MLB rule is that the Rule 5 player so traded has to be kept on the gaining team's 26-man MLB roster same as it was for the team that drafted him in the Rule 5 draft. The gaining team could negotiate with the original team, but in effect that ends up being a trade after the trade, and very rarely happens.
i suspect the way SDS coded the rule in their game they didn't extend the same rules to the team you would have traded your Rule 5 draft selectee to.
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@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
One way to handle the rule 5 draft is to take a player and then trade him for better value. For example Brendan Rodgers was in the 2026 rule 5 draft in my franchise. I picked him and then traded him to fill a need.
Some are under the false impression you must keep a rule 5 pick on your 26 man roster or give him back to the team you got him from. Better to trade him than do that.
How could this be? I’m pretty sure you can only be in the Rule 5 in the game if you haven’t been in the majors and he wasn’t in my 2026 Rule 5.
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@fubar2k7_PSN said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
One way to handle the rule 5 draft is to take a player and then trade him for better value. For example Brendan Rodgers was in the 2026 rule 5 draft in my franchise. I picked him and then traded him to fill a need.
Some are under the false impression you must keep a rule 5 pick on your 26 man roster or give him back to the team you got him from. Better to trade him than do that.
How could this be? I’m pretty sure you can only be in the Rule 5 in the game if you haven’t been in the majors and he wasn’t in my 2026 Rule 5.
Yes, veteran players can be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, but only if they haven't been added to their team's 40-man roster. A player's eligibility depends on their age when first signed and how long they've been in professional baseball. Specifically, players signed at 18 or younger have five seasons to be protected, while those signed at 19 or older have four seasons. If they are not protected (added to the 40-man roster) by that point, they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Eligibility:
Players who have spent at least four seasons in professional baseball after signing at age 19 or older are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they are not on the 40-man roster. Similarly, players who have spent five seasons in professional baseball after signing at age 18 or younger are eligible if not protected.
Protection:
A team can protect a player by adding them to their 40-man roster, making them ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Rule 5 Draft:
The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players from other organizations' 40-man rosters who haven't been protected. If a player is selected, the new team must keep them on their active 26-man roster for the entire following season or offer the player back to their original team. -
@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
@fubar2k7_PSN said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
@sullivanspring_MLBTS said in Offseason FA signing issues (Major League/Minor League contracts):
One way to handle the rule 5 draft is to take a player and then trade him for better value. For example Brendan Rodgers was in the 2026 rule 5 draft in my franchise. I picked him and then traded him to fill a need.
Some are under the false impression you must keep a rule 5 pick on your 26 man roster or give him back to the team you got him from. Better to trade him than do that.
How could this be? I’m pretty sure you can only be in the Rule 5 in the game if you haven’t been in the majors and he wasn’t in my 2026 Rule 5.
Yes, veteran players can be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, but only if they haven't been added to their team's 40-man roster. A player's eligibility depends on their age when first signed and how long they've been in professional baseball. Specifically, players signed at 18 or younger have five seasons to be protected, while those signed at 19 or older have four seasons. If they are not protected (added to the 40-man roster) by that point, they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Eligibility:
Players who have spent at least four seasons in professional baseball after signing at age 19 or older are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they are not on the 40-man roster. Similarly, players who have spent five seasons in professional baseball after signing at age 18 or younger are eligible if not protected.
Protection:
A team can protect a player by adding them to their 40-man roster, making them ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Rule 5 Draft:
The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players from other organizations' 40-man rosters who haven't been protected. If a player is selected, the new team must keep them on their active 26-man roster for the entire following season or offer the player back to their original team.I understand the rule. In my 2026 he was just a free agent and nobody signed him because he sucked. Seems like he somehow signed in yours and wasn’t added to the 40 and ended up in the Rule 5. Because he just has a 1 year contract for 2025.
