Post by St. Louis Sting on Feb 3, 2016 15:22:30 GMT -5
There has been some question as to what the dates and order of preseason events will be for the baseball portion of the league. Here is that timeline. If you have any questions or comments please post them.
Now to February 10th - Current restricted free agents can be tendered a qualifying offer. Players who are not granted qualifying offers by 11:59 PM EST on February 10th will be put back into the unrestricted free agency pool for the normal auction draft.
February 11th to signing of final RFA - Restricted free agent auction period. All restricted free agents who are tendered qualifying offers can be bid on as usual during this period. Players who do receive competing bids are bid on as normal, with a 24 hour standing-bid as the winner. After the 24 hour period, the owner who offered the QO has 48 hours to match the highest bid to retain the player or decline in order to receive draft pick compensation. After 10 days, players who did not receive a bid will be automatically resigned by the team that granted them the qualifying offer. It is unlikely that bidding on any players with competing bids lasts more than 10 days with so few available players and high starting salary.
Day after (re)signing of final RFA (likely February 21st) - 2016 MiLB Draft begins. The draft will follow normal procedure except each team gets 12 hours before their pick is skipped rather than 24.
March 1st - Regular auction begins. Normal procedure
NOTE: The MiLB Draft will continue even if not completed by March 1st. I just want to make sure most prospects are gone from the free agency pool in order to limit confusion on who is and isn't eligible for free agency bidding.
Now to February 10th - Current restricted free agents can be tendered a qualifying offer. Players who are not granted qualifying offers by 11:59 PM EST on February 10th will be put back into the unrestricted free agency pool for the normal auction draft.
February 11th to signing of final RFA - Restricted free agent auction period. All restricted free agents who are tendered qualifying offers can be bid on as usual during this period. Players who do receive competing bids are bid on as normal, with a 24 hour standing-bid as the winner. After the 24 hour period, the owner who offered the QO has 48 hours to match the highest bid to retain the player or decline in order to receive draft pick compensation. After 10 days, players who did not receive a bid will be automatically resigned by the team that granted them the qualifying offer. It is unlikely that bidding on any players with competing bids lasts more than 10 days with so few available players and high starting salary.
Day after (re)signing of final RFA (likely February 21st) - 2016 MiLB Draft begins. The draft will follow normal procedure except each team gets 12 hours before their pick is skipped rather than 24.
March 1st - Regular auction begins. Normal procedure
NOTE: The MiLB Draft will continue even if not completed by March 1st. I just want to make sure most prospects are gone from the free agency pool in order to limit confusion on who is and isn't eligible for free agency bidding.