Getting the most value in a trade

Brianj's first trade has generated a lot of comments on the chat board. Most HBD veterans would recommend that a "noob" not make any trades for at least the first season, especially if their advanced scouting budget is below 14. I tend to agree in most cases.

Regardless of the number of seasons you have played, getting the most bang for your buck in a trade is what turns a contender into a champion, or can turn a rebuild project into a perennial powerhouse.

In my opinion, the two best times to trade a player are:

1. During Free Agency bidding

2. Halfway through the season

If you have a highly coveted starting pitcher, for example, you can command multiple top notch prospects during the FA period. There are always multiple teams bidding on the top FA pitching talent. Always. There are a few winners, and the rest are losers. Many teams budget millions in cap space hoping to land the top FA pitchers. This is an opportune time to offload a long expensive contract and pick up future quality ML talent. Many teams think they are just one player away from making a run at the World Series. Optimism is the highest during the FA period. Strike while the iron is hot.

A lot of owners might think the trade deadline is the best time to get the most value. That is the case in "real" baseball, but not necessarily the case in HBD. There are usually only a few buyers at the deadline, and if the guy you are trying to trade is only a half season rental, very few players are willing to part with top prospect talent. However, right before the All Star break, many teams who think they can make a run will come to the table with solid prospects to offer. It's a great time to move an overachieving player who will eventually regress to the mean.