Who is a free agent
A free agent is any real player with no season on a roster in your league. Free agency is separate for each league. A player who is taken in one league is still available in another.
Because one player can only be on one team in a league, a player drops off the list once any of his seasons is on a roster, even if it is a different season from the one you were looking at.
When you can sign someone
Free agency is not a way to swap players in and out. You can sign a free agent only in these cases:
- Your roster is below 24 players, and you are filling the vacancy.
- It is September 1 or later. The roster limit rises from 26 to 30 players and the salary cap rises by $7,500,000, so you can use the expansion spots.
At any other time the Sign buttons are greyed out. Computer-controlled teams follow the same terms.
The salary cap
Every signing has to fit under your salary cap, which is $80,000,000 ($87,500,000 from September 1). The Free Agency page shows your cap space and each player's salary. A player you cannot afford is greyed out, with the reason. A team below 24 players must also keep enough room to fill its other open spots at the minimum salary. Your cap used and remaining are shown at the top of the Clubhouse.
Finding and signing a player
- Open Free Agency in the top menu.
- Switch between Hitters and Pitchers. Hitters are listed by batting average and pitchers by wins, 20 to a page.
- Choose Sign next to a player. He joins your roster right away at his listed salary.
Signed players are available for your next game. If someone else in your league signs a player first, you will see a message that he is already on a roster.
When to use it
- A player left a hole in your roster and you are below 24 players.
- September 1 has passed and you want extra depth at catcher or in the outfield.
When players can be released, a released player's salary will keep counting against your cap for the rest of the season.