I don't think you'll necessarily move leagues if you end up losing the relegation series. I joined at the end of last season, was "awarded" the 8th place team, which should automatically relegate. But I didn't.
As for trimming your roster and training, there are three good guidelines to remember:
One, a player trains most effectively between ages 18-22, though training later can still be effective.
Two, the player's potential doesn't speed their training at all, just what their maximal abilities can reach. And for players that will be effective in the lower US divisions, even starter, star and allstar will be sufficient.
Three, players can start to see their skills decline around age 32.
Given that, your purchase of Mezzogori looks ok, especially if he has been trained up to this point in the season (and depending on his skill breakdowns).Your guard Soon however is a bit old to train, so will never bump up on his HOF potential. But you didn't spend much on him, so no big deal.
Now you just have to decide whether you want to try and train guards or big men. It's very hard to train both in the same season effectively, so most people focus on one group, and then purchase the others. Maybe the draft results will decide it for you though.
[Edit - Actually, sorry I forgot that Jimmy Delatorre is definitely worth training, so I'd keep focusing on him for the rest of the season, and prioritize shorter, guard type prospects for the draft]
Hope that's at least a bit helpful!
Last edited by Tangosz at 6/30/2011 2:56:57 PM