As players move from being drafted to retiring they age into and out of their primes.
Players begin as amateur, drafted prospects, with ratings that have not yet reached their projected potentials. A player is drafted somewhere between the ages of 17 and 22.
As a player develops in the minors, their ratings will increment upwards by a few points on the 12th of each league month. Each player has their own hidden rate at which their ratings increase.
You do NOT need to wait for players to fully mature before they can play in the majors. But it is reccomended you wait until offensive players have a CH of at least 80, and pitchers have a CO of at least 80 and a BP of at least 85.
Players begin to decline after their age 32 season. The decline begins slowly, and then accelerates as the player becomes older. Each rating declines at its own, unpredictable rate.
As players decline, they will also have an increased risk of injury, and an increased rate of Health depletion, requiring more days of rest to stay productive.
Even when in decline, elite players can continue to provide significant value to teams.
Players will automatically retire when one of the following ratings drops too low:
When a player retires, any remaining salary will be forfeited by the player. This means the team the player retires from will NOT be required to continue paying the player. It also means the team will need to replace that player, if they were holding an important spot on the roster.
Free agents who have not been on a roster in two years will announce their retirements and no longer be eligible to join teams.
This retirement decision is made after opening day begins.