Free agency

In baseball, free agency works in two ways. The rules depend on the season phase. For the general idea, see Waivers and free agents.

Regular season: direct offers

The market is open all season. There are no sealed-bid rounds.

1. Open the Free Agency screen, or find a free agent on the Players screen.
2. Check the needs strip to see where your roster is thin.
3. Make a direct offer.
4. If you have the cap room, the player signs to your roster right away.

The player's camp starts at its market ask. The ask climbs a little each time you lowball the player.

Playoffs: market closed

No team can sign a free agent in the playoffs. Rosters are locked, so nothing can be offered or bid on. Sealed bidding opens with the offseason. The free agents still listed are the players you will bid on against the rest of the league.

Offseason: sealed bids

1. Open the Free Agency screen when a bidding window is open.
2. Make one offer per player in a round. Bids are sealed. Every bid opens at once, and the best acceptable bid wins. There is no live back-and-forth.
3. Reserve prices drop each round. Bid hard on must-have players early. Take chances on depth players later.
4. If you want to hedge across several targets, group bids. A group wins at most one of its bids.
5. If you want, add an option year or a partial guarantee to a bid. A club option or a lower guarantee raises the price. A player option lowers it. See Contract terms.