EHM The Blue Line

Any player with a contract expiring into free agency has 0 value to other GMs, but they value their players with expiring contracts normally.

I don't see why the GM AI can't take into account expected upcoming cap hit when determining value, because the ability to resign expiring contracts before the player hits the market has value.

This has been an issue mentioned before, I think, that just hasn't been fixed. Can't say I've played 2007 to know whether or not it existed then, but pretty much the trade AI doesn't take into account the concept of 'rentals'.

It's probably in the cards to fix in a later update. I generally try to offload any FAs that I don't plan on resigning who aren't absolutely killing it with the team in production around December. Once it hits January, it seems that's when their value plummets. I (usually) have no problem sealing late December trades of FAs for other players.

I agree though--just sucks that you can't swap at trade deadline.

I never had any problems offloading UFA's in February, I usually do so with players I can get a pick for unless I plan to re-sign them ( I usually keep UFA veterans if I'm in the Cup mix) . No chance in June though.

I think the same occurs for RFA's if you try to offload them before the end of contract - assuming some compensation is due, in theory a team could take one early to try and sign them and avoid competing with everyone else for their signature. Worse case scenario you get the picks back from elsewhere if he doesn't sign, or a team might let them go for less picks than they'd be worth to avoid losing them in arbitration if he really won't sign and they think he's demands are too high to go elsewhere.