Everything New Coming to Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 25
The primary changes revolve around how the offseason portion of Franchise will play, with a revamped system for signing free agents.
The week is wrapping up, and so is the news dump we’ve gotten from SDS about their updates to Franchise mode in MLB The Show 25.
In need of a refresh, Franchise has seemed to be placed on the backburner for as long as the community can remember. Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show and Storylines have all been maintained and updated (to mixed results) the last few years, while Franchise updates have mainly been limited to the revamped scouting and draft systems.
The updates shown this week have me both excited and nervous for what Franchise will look like this year.
The primary changes revolve around how the offseason portion of Franchise will play, with a revamped system for signing free agents that resembles the signing phase of the draft process but is a bit more in depth.
Alongside this larger change are updates to presentation during games, such as prospect updates, and a summary of in-game storylines present in the game you’re playing.
Let’s break down these changes piece by piece.
THE OFFSEASON EXPERIENCE
This is the area that received the biggest facelift.
Using the new Big Board, you’re now able to designate specific areas of need in the early stages of free agency. This helps put into focus the types of players you’ll be going after. Paired with this is the updated logic and reasoning of the players in free agency. Players appear to have an idea of what type of contract they’re looking for (not a completely new concept to the game) and can set the market for a player of their respective caliber. You’re also able to see how much money you have left to spend in the current offseason.
As the general manager in Franchise, you can select three players to prioritize at a time, like what we see in the signing period after the draft. Where a player is slotted out of the three priorities determines the rate at which his motivation to sign increases. This motivation can change based on the needs of the team you determined. The Big Board displays the players’ motivations to sign, the teams rumored to be involved in negotiations, how the player fits into your pre-designated offseason needs, and the player’s own considerations of what he’s looking for in a new team.
Player logic has almost made its way into how players interpret certain offers. Depending on when the offer is made and how much money is offered, a player can either be blown away and sign or be discouraged from communicating further with your team. Players are also able to reach out to your team, citing how they fit in your current roster construction and that they wish to join your organization.
There could also be instances of players or agents giving you a “now or never” offer, giving you a chance to scoop up a desired player right before he signs elsewhere. A player might also be discouraged to sign with your team if there is already a better player starting at their position.
CONTRACTS
This needed an update — badly. It remains to be seen how well these updates will hold up over the course of long save files or how consistent the realism will be, but it was good to see that contracts will be more akin to real life. With such insane contracts being handed out in Major League Baseball, the maximum salary in MLB The Show 25 has increased. Also worth noting: every position group has a dynamic maximum salary.
Another logic change, the “big market” teams will be favored when it comes to acquiring marquee free agents. Expect the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and others heavily involved with the biggest free agents on a yearly basis.
A smaller but substantial change to the logic can be seen when big free agents hold up the market for their respective positions. For example, Kyle Tucker signing with a club will open the door for the lower-tier outfielders to sign. This means that Tucker will have set the market for outfielders and the rest of the field will sign at rates relative to Tucker’s contract.
TRADING
SDS has made improvements to the trade and player valuation logic (again). Contracts have been factored into trade logics, meaning larger contracts will be increasingly harder to move. The value of two-way players has also increased. This will be seen when looking into potential trades involving Shohei Ohtani, and later in saves when two-way players are drafted.
WHAT WE DIDN’T GET
As a fan of Franchise, I’m looking forward to this new offseason experience. That said, there were a few quality-of-life improvements we have yet to see. Tendering contracts appears to remain a manual task, requiring you to sift through all eligible players. The trade system is still limited to three players per team, a feature that has been a topic of discussion for years and still has no update.
The largest omission by far is the lack of an online Franchise. Full transparency here, I was not an online Franchise guy. It was just something I never got into. I can’t relate to the community’s longing for the mode to return, so I’ll just have to take your word for it. Still, it’s something the community has been clamoring for since its removal, and we’ve heard virtually nothing regarding a potential return.
The Show Gazette will have more about online franchise coming soon.
An MLB The Show fan since 2013 and a Blue Jays fan his whole life, Jiggy loves all things baseball. He spends most of his time playing Diamond Dynasty and Franchise.