It is not necessarily your *best* player the game sells, it is your most VALUABLE in terms of $$. And the game will sell off more if that doesn't cover the debt. I haven't lost any guys yet but freaked the heck out when I first got into debt and got the warning letter from the "bank".
I actually like the system, if you see a player you really really want, you can still get them if you win the bidding war...