I'm a lifelong Franchise player and love the mode (even with its flaws), but each iteration of the game, I run into the same problem once I reach my first offseason—the AI makes bad and unrealistic choices that I can't undo. I like to make my franchises as realistic as possible (play every game as the Cubs, go after players that make sense instead of the big stars), so something like Vladdy signing with the Yankees and the Pirates trading Skenes always throws me off and I get too fixated on fine-tuning the file to make it realistic.
These have always been franchise files with just my team, but now I'm considering starting one with 30 team control once this year's game releases so I can step in to prevent unrealistic moves or decisions. Does anyone else play like this and have any advice to make it as realistic as possible? I'm thinking of also turning on Ignore Budgets and Force Trades in case there are huge real-life things I want to replicate (like Devers to SF), but I'd use ground rules to keep the realism in check (never go over budget, always give up more in a trade).
Also curious if there are any odd quirks that appear when playing this way. I've been playing a 30 team control franchise file on '25 right now and I don't think I've seen the news ticker at the bottom all season.