Update from BBC:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66613767

I don’t know if it’s just me, but across the counties the list of released players seems less impressive than a few years ago.
I mean we signed Chris Rushworth as a free agent last off season. There’s no one who’s even close to that this year. And he was an outlier, based on the talent that gets to free agency in recent years.
Looks like it’s becoming more and more like football where players are signed whilst still on contract, and good players never make it to free agency.

Looking around, Godleman and Ball are by far the best players and both have very obvious issues in terms of age and injury history.

I'd rather we produce our own players. We are supposed to be Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

That's always a very interesting page on the BBC. Interesting to see how little there is in our section and how much there is in Worcestershire's on the very next entry, the talent they have lost is staggering - especially so they are playing up a division in 2024.

As BosworthBear says I think Warks need to concentrate on their academy players being able to make it into first team this post season while looking at stabilising their performances and playing under pressure. As always there's a space for an overseas, left arm quick would be perfect though I don't think we'll get that.

We could do with another opener. Forgive me if I mispell his name but is it Amir Khan a potential first teamer? Thinking of second team, Billy Godleman is released by Derby and he played for us the end of last year. Wouldn't be surprised if he joined but wouldn't really be excited about it either. Would be a kick for Alex Davies if it happened too,

I don’t know if this is just Warwickshire or if it’s something around all the counties and the game in this country in general now. But I think what we’re discovering is that it seems to take a much longer time now for players to break through.
Maybe it’s just that there’s more visibility on academies and second elevens now. But from players first appearing on the radar to them becoming viable regular first team options seems to take much longer now. Mousley is a good example, Bethell too.

I'm not sure what proportion of players have agents these days; but if a player has an agent and if he is marketable, I assume that the agent will have negotiated a new contract either with the existing club or a new one well before the existing contract ends.
I see that Richard Gleeson is leaving Lancashire and Alex Blake leaving Kent.

Any good agent will be aware of his clients contract end date, and will be working to ensure a new contract is signed before the current deal expires.

I'd think that the majority of players will have some form of advisor, either a formal "agent" of advice form a combination of solicitor/accountant, obviously there are a few players with the skills to deal with their own contracts.

I haven't seen any announcement of our 'Retained List'. There was speculation on the likely leaving of George Garrett and Manraj Johal, but as far as I've seen, it's gone quiet at Edgbaston.

Their departures were more or less confirmed by Robinson in that after play forum in the Dollery bar last Wednesday

I know I’ve said it before, but feel that Johal performed well on his rare opportunities, like at the end of the 2021 season. Never saw him again in the first class team after that BWT match.
I don’t know whether they decided because of his performances in the second XI that he wouldn’t be given more chances. Or if they simply thought he lacked the raw ability like pace or movement to succeed higher up.
Think Garrett just wasted too many chances over the years, but he got 2 more years than Johal did.

I'd love to know what actually went on with Johal. He makes his List A debut in 2021 playing several of the games and performing decently, then makes his first class debut at Lords where he not only bowls well but he appears to field well and be a serviceable tailender with bat in hand. Sky commentators talk him up, Dobell on cricinfo says he definitely has a future. He's made an impression. Signs a contract extension in April 2022, it seems to be lift off for him.

He is literally never seen in the first team again, barely even making a squad.

Garrett, for me, has been a victim of the pandemic in a way. He comes into the 4day side in late 2019 and does well bowling steady away swingers at around 80mph. He stays in the side, even took the new ball v Essex, got wickets away at Notts, gets a few top order scalps etc. He finishes 2019 in a really good place with credit in the bank so to speak. Covid hits. No cricket til August 2020. Those who had been injured recover and come back into the side, Garrett goes back to the bottom of the pile. Doesn't play any first class cricket in 2021, plays one FC game away at a rampant Hampshire in 2022, is barely seen in 2023. I'm not really sure he actually did get a proper chance. He did have some injuries to be fair.

Its not a good look on the club and coaching though this. Two academy seamers who both show decent ability at first glance, a little bit more than a glance in GG case, both getting released at the same time. You'd have thought one of them would have made it or at least one of them to have got a bit more of an opportunity. Neither looked out of their depth or had any horror show performances.

Our record at bringing through home grown seamers has been particularly poor for quite some time.

Updated ins and outs from Cricinfo:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/county-ins-and-outs-2023-24-1404457
By my count, that's over 30 players who have been released and haven't (yet) found another county.

Sussex picking up John Simpson is a curious one. Simpson has been terrific but his best days are definitely behind him and the current Sussex keeper Oli Carter seems to have a lot of promise.

Middlesex apparently are willing to let expensive players go because their financial punishments have meant they need to lower costs.
They need to reduce the number of expensive senior players and one format players too. TRJ apparently could be on the way out.
Sussex were desperate for an experienced multi format keeper, wanted Burgess or Cox from Kent, but couldn’t afford them as they’re younger and in their prime.
A friend of mine is a Sussex fan, Carter apparently isn’t a great gloveman and his batting flatters to deceive. Scores easy runs typically on a very flat Hove pitch. But now he can sit behind Simpson, maybe play as a batsman and work on his game.
Simpson was a cheaper option because he’s only got a 2-3 years left. He provides experience and depth.

There seems to be a lot of regret in Somerset that George Thomas has been released - he might be a decent Bears recruit:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/george-thomas-1260859

I'm sure he was mentioned in the "end of contracts" thread. :-)

Highveld wrote:

I'm sure he was mentioned in the "end of contracts" thread. :-)

Yes, though I can't recall who mentioned him.

Somerset's Harry Everett says about George Thomas:
"He is the hardest departure for me to come to grips with in recent years. It is said his fielding, and previously his attitude, have let him down, but other than one real dolly drop this season he has otherwise fielded solidly and matured into his career as a professional cricketer. I have not yet found anyone of a Somerset persuasion who is not disappointed at his dismissal, and there is certainly no ounce of it that he wanted to leave the club and town with all his mates, and his brother."

I think the club should, at least, talk to him, he looks like he could be a useful player given the opportunity.

"Big overseas player" inbound today. At last a new recruit!