How Do Free Agency Offers Work?

[pseudonym]

So, I'm curious, maybe some of you understand this or have inside information.

How does it work when making an offer during free agency? Is it like a blind bid charity auction where you put in your best offer and then hope you win? ("ARob, we're offering 15 mill a year, three years, total of 45, with 20 guaranteed") or is it more like Ebay where you put in a lower bid, a jumping off point ("ARob, we're offering 10 mill a year, for three years, 30 mill, with 10 guaranteed") and then you're notified by an agent when you are outbid so you can put in a better offer, and then it goes back and forth until somebody says, "That's our best offer."? Or something in-between?

I'm just wondering if when people say "the Bears are coming at ARod hard" they mean we'll just put out an insane offer right away or that we're just willing to go higher, offer more $$$, but also more years, more guaranteed, more incentives, etc. I've seen some crazy contracts and offers lately, and not sure how they got to that point.

Thanks! Appreciate it.

(PS: And if there's a thread here or an article online feel free to point me towards it. Now let's go sign Robinson!)

 

[playthrough2001]

So, I'm curious, maybe some of you understand this or have inside information.

How does it work when making an offer during free agency? Is it like a blind bid charity auction where you put in your best offer and then hope you win? ("ARob, we're offering 15 mill a year, three years, total of 45, with 20 guaranteed") or is it more like Ebay where you put in a lower bid, a jumping off point ("ARob, we're offering 10 mill a year, for three years, 30 mill, with 10 guaranteed") and then you're notified by an agent when you are outbid so you can put in a better offer, and then it goes back and forth until somebody says, "That's our best offer."? Or something in-between?

I'm just wondering if when people say "the Bears are coming at ARod hard" they mean we'll just put out an insane offer right away or that we're just willing to go higher, offer more $$$, but also more years, more guaranteed, more incentives, etc. I've seen some crazy contracts and offers lately, and not sure how they got to that point.

Thanks! Appreciate it.

(PS: And if there's a thread here or an article online feel free to point me towards it. Now let's go sign Robinson!)

It’s no different then when your agent pits all the publishers against one another for the rights to your next book. He fields multiple offers and makes his recommendation. Ultimately, the player or author makes the final decision.

Obviously, there can be multiple layers to the negotiations as you mentioned.

 

[pseudonym]

It’s no different then when your agent pits all the publishers against one another for the rights to your next book. He fields multiple offers and makes his recommendation. Ultimately, the player or author makes the final decision.

Obviously, there can be multiple layers to the negotiations as you mentioned.

Okay, cool. That's kind of what I though. So I imagine the strategy is to offer a good deal out of the gate, but not your BEST offer? Or do you think when they say a team is all in they really do make their best offer first, and if they have to go HIGHER, they do it?

 

[playthrough2001]

Okay, cool. That's kind of what I though. So I imagine the strategy is to offer a good deal out of the gate, but not your BEST offer? Or do you think when they say a team is all in they really do make their best offer first, and if they have to go HIGHER, they do it?

I think that really depends on the team and their philosophy.

 

[pseudonym]

I think that really depends on the team and their philosophy.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks.