Player agent giving duff information

[smallclone]

So I'm a rookie in RTTS. I got drafted by the Rays and signed a 1 year $500k deal and then got traded to the A's. Such is life.

My agent says "what's up, anything I can do for you?"

I say "Yeah, I'm a Third baseman and I've been playing 1st base all season"

My agent then says "Hang in there, we don't want to upset the franchise seeing you are only in the 1st year of a six year deal"

What the fugazi? I was so taken aback I nearly crumped my tweeds. I had to head out of the current series and check my contract - sure enough I'm still in that first year of the 1 year deal.

So - Was the agent giving me duff info? What was he talking about?

Thanks

[Nulap]

Quote: Originally Posted by smallclone

So I'm a rookie in RTTS. I got drafted by the Rays and signed a 1 year $500k deal and then got traded to the A's. Such is life. My agent says "what's up, anything I can do for you?" I say "Yeah, I'm a Third baseman and I've been playing 1st base all season" My agent then says "Hang in there, we don't want to upset the franchise seeing you are only in the 1st year of a six year deal" What the fugazi? I was so taken aback I nearly crumped my tweeds. I had to head out of the current series and check my contract - sure enough I'm still in that first year of the 1 year deal. So - Was the agent giving me duff info? What was he talking about? Thanks

Once you call a guy up, the clock starts ticking on his free agency clock, which is usually either 6 or 7 seasons depending on when he was called up in his first season. This is what is usually meant by a player's "rookie contract" and he "belongs to" the team that drafted him until his rookie contract is up.

The first 3-4 years of his rookie contract, his "pre-arb" years, the team decides what his salary will be. This is usually very close to the league minimum.

The last 3-4 years of his rookie contract, he is eligible for salary arbitration. That means the team writes down a number they want to pay, the player writes down a number he want to earn, and an impartial third party picks one or the other (no averaging). The player and team are free to "settle out of court" in terms of the player's salary during these 3-4 seasons, arb is usually a last resort when regular negotiations don't work.

A team may cut a rookie contract player at any point (usually called "non-tendering" at this point), and owe him nothing more than was agreed to in the last deal he signed with the team, which is often nothing. Whoever signs him inherits his arb status, intact from his original team.

After the 6-7 seasons are up, the player is a free agent, and free to sign with the highest bidder.

[smallclone]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nulap

Once you call a guy up, the clock starts ticking on his free agency clock, which is usually either 6 or 7 seasons depending on when he was called up in his first season. This is what is usually meant by a player's "rookie contract" and he "belongs to" the team that drafted him until his rookie contract is up. The first 3-4 years of his rookie contract, his "pre-arb" years, the team decides what his salary will be. This is usually very close to the league minimum. The last 3-4 years of his rookie contract, he is eligible for salary arbitration. That means the team writes down a number they want to pay, the player writes down a number he want to earn, and an impartial third party picks one or the other (no averaging). The player and team are free to "settle out of court" in terms of the player's salary during these 3-4 seasons, arb is usually a last resort when regular negotiations don't work. A team may cut a rookie contract player at any point (usually called "non-tendering" at this point), and owe him nothing more than was agreed to in the last deal he signed with the team, which is often nothing. Whoever signs him inherits his arb status, intact from his original team. After the 6-7 seasons are up, the player is a free agent, and free to sign with the highest bidder.

Thanks. I still don't understand the underlined bit though. I've signed a contract with the Rays for 1 year then was traded to the A's.

-Who owns my Rookie contract?
-Are you saying they'll always own my rookie contract even if I sign with another team at the end of this 1 year deal?

[Nulap]

The team you're with basically owns you for 6-7 years depending on when you were called up. When you get traded before you're eligible for FA the receiving team owns your remaining years till FA.

[MrSerendipity]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nulap

The team you're with basically owns you for 6-7 years depending on when you were called up. When you get traded before you're eligible for FA the receiving team owns your remaining years till FA.

This.

You have to earn service time. Service time is time spent in the Majors. Until you've earned service time, there won't be any signing with another team. You're with Oakland unless Oakland trades you.

[smallclone]

Quote: Originally Posted by MrSerendipity

This. You have to earn service time. Service time is time spent in the Majors. Until you've earned service time, there won't be any signing with another team. You're with Oakland unless Oakland trades you.

And that's because Oakland gave me my debut in the big leagues?

Otherwise surely I could just get traded again?

[MrSerendipity]

Quote: Originally Posted by smallclone

And that's because Oakland gave me my debut in the big leagues? Otherwise surely I could just get traded again?

Even if you had been in the minors, they technically own you for a very lengthy period of time. If you don't like your situation in Oakland, you can always request a trade. I've found that continuously complaining about your position tends to lead to a trade. One of my players has been dealt 6-8 times and he's only three years into his career (including minors).

[Nulap]

Quote: Originally Posted by smallclone

Thanks. I still don't understand the underlined bit though. I've signed a contract with the Rays for 1 year then was traded to the A's. -Who owns my Rookie contract? -Are you saying they'll always own my rookie contract even if I sign with another team at the end of this 1 year deal?

Your contract rights are now owned by the A's for the next 5-6 years (depending on when you were originally called up to the majors by the Rays).

Until you hit arbitration the contracts you sign at the end of each season are basically just "good faith"payments by the club as they could pay you as little as they want to a certain extent (down to the league minimum). In fact technically if you do not sign the offer and you are not arbitration eligible then the club can renew your contract for whatever it wants (again down to the league minimum)