General Description - From this page you may negotiate with free-agents. You may only reach this page by clicking 'Negotiate' on the free-agent Report page.

Player Information - The top half of the page includes the player's information including a link to his picture, player profile and all of his status info.

Budget Information, Player Payroll Budget - This captures your current budget status. The player payroll figure represents the amount that you have allocated to your player payroll +/- any transferred cash from trades. The amount that you may allocate to future seasons is reduced by 80%, 70%, 50% and 50% in order to prevent trashing a franchise for the future. You may not allocate more than this payroll budget for any season.

Budget Information, Player Payroll Used - This illustrates the amount that you currently have tied up in signed player contracts for that season. For instance, if you have $8,000,000 in season 4, you have eight million dollars worth of players under contract with your franchise during Season 4 (via multi-year deals). These numbers are updated as players are signed.

Budget Information, Player Payroll Offered - This represents the money you currently have tied up in outstanding offers. This amount plus the payroll allocated cannot exceed the player payroll budget, so be wise in your offers. If a signing would put your franchise over your budget, you will not be able to make the offer to the player.

Previous Correspondence - This will return the results from previous negotiations and offers. You will know whether you had the top offer, the player is considering your offer or if he has rejected it. Just because you have the top offer now, does not mean that he will sign a contract to play for your franchise so you may still want to update your offer. If a player rejects an offer, he will never sign that contract, but you may offer him another contract without penalty.

Contract Demands - These are the contract demands of the player. They are a good starting point for free agency. Generally, players will sign for their demands, but the free-agent market will dictate the player's true worth.

Agent - At this time the agent does not play a significant role in negotiations.

Type - Players can either sign big league, Minor League, Minor League with Spring Training Invitation or Invitation only contracts. Most players will demand Major or Minor League contracts depending on experience.

Years - Players will demand between 1-5 years on their contracts. Most players who demand longer contracts will also ask for No-Trade Clauses or Player options. This will be represented in the Player Comments section.

Total Amount - This is the amount that the player would like to earn from the contract. It is up to the user to determine how to allocate this money over the duration of the contract.

Player Remarks - These are general special notes by the player. They will include discussions on such topics as playing time, team success, contract type, No Trade Clauses and Last Season Options.

Notes - These are general notes about the player including whether the player is a Type A or Type B free agent.

Type A Free-Agent - A Type A player is in the top 20% of all players at his position group (based on ratings). The position groups include C, 1B/OF/DH, 2B/3B/SS, SP and RP. If you sign a Type A free-agent, you forfeit your first round pick in the upcoming Amateur Draft to the player's previous franchise. If your first round pick is in the first half of the draft, then you forfeit your second round pick instead. The player's previous franchise also receives a supplemental round pick between rounds 1 and 2.

Type B Free-Agent - A Type B player falls in the top 20% - 40% of all players at his listed position group (based on ratings). If you sign a Type B free-agent, the player's former franchise will be compensated with a sandwich pick between round 1 and round 2.

Contract Offer - After finalizing an offer in this box, please click 'Submit Offer.' After your offer is submitted, it will be reviewed and responded to by the player by the end of the negotiations cycle. To go back to the free-agent Reports page, please click 'Return.'

Bonus - Bonuses are guaranteed money that comes out of the player payroll upon signing. Bonuses cannot be transferred through trades or waiver moves. Bonuses are limited to $10 million.

Season - This is the actual season salary that you would like to offer the player. In a two-year contract, neither season can comprise more than 60% of the total value of the contract. In a three-year contract, no season can comprise more than 40% of the total value of the contract. In a four-year contract, no season can comprise more than 30% of the total value of the contract. In a five-year contract, no season can comprise more than 25% or less than 10% of the total value of the contract. There is a maximum allowable offer of $20 million for any season. The minimum for any season is the minimum annual salary at that level. For the big leagues, this is 325K. To change the offer for any season, please click in the box next to the season and enter an integer value. For a three year contract, you must enter in values for the first three seasons, but you may leave seasons 4 and 5 blank. The total value of the contract will appear at the bottom of the page.

Last Season Option - This refers to the option that a player and/or organization has to release the player from his contract after his second-to-last season under contract. Player Options come into play when a player feels he has outplayed his contract and would like test the free-agent waters. Players do not have to invoke their options. Team options allow users to release a player while only being held responsible for 25% of their agreed upon salary (buyout amount). These also do not have to be used. Mutual Option contracts give the opportunity to both the player and franchise to end the contract before its last season. Players with Last Season Options will not be reflected in the free-agent Report until the contract has ended or been terminated.

No Trade Clause - Players who want to stay with a franchise for the long-term may request a No Trade Clause. These players may still be traded, but the player will have to waive his No Trade Clause to do so.

Note - At the conclusion of the Free-Agent Negotiation Period, all unaccepted offers will be automatically cancelled.

Compensation Note - Any Type A or Type B free-agents signed before the first day of preparation for the amateur draft will result in compensation picks being awarded.

Additional information :Player Ratings | Player Statistics | GM Basics | Guide | Manual