Freeeeeee Agency begins!!!

Wow - it has been a LONG time since I blogged, and it was high time to fix that. Maybe it's because when I blog, I write a novel instead.. Hmmm....sounds like that's MY problem.

Anyhow - given the interest and questions we've received in response to the free agent's list being published today, I thought I'd talk a bit about player transactions at WPS.

September has been a BUSY month - wow - with a LOT of player transaction activity. Two drafts for the expansion teams, option exercises happening, a trade or two, and today, it all concluded with the opening of free agency. Wow - it has been a long past few weeks. Six weeks, in fact.

First there was the expansion draft, which although it took place on Sept 15, the work started way before that, way back on Aug 27, when teams were asked to submit their Expansion Draft Lists (EDLs) to the League. The League then released this info to the expansion teams a few days later, and let them go about doing their homework. Then we had the expansion draft, where 13 terrific players were chosen in total and Atlanta & Philly had their first players ever. A historic moment certainly for those teams. I was particularly happy for Lori Lindsey, who had a fantastic season with the Freedom, and was taken right away with Philadelphia's first pick.

But no sooner was that draft over that we were gearing up for the NEXT draft, the international draft for the expansion teams. On Sept 22nd, Atlanta and Philly each selected 5 players, who they now will negotiate with to sign and bring into the League for the 2010 season.

And all the while... the options exercise period chugged along. The options exercise period is the period when teams need to determine if they willl exercise their options on contracts with players they currently have under contract. This period ends on the 30th day after the end of the league season, which this year was on September 29.

It works like this: when a player signs a contract with a WPS team, many things are negotiated. Along with the compensation, is the duration of how long the player's rights will be held by the team. Many contracts last for a year (or a season), with team options for subsequent years attached to it.

According to the WPS standard player contracts, teams have until 30 days after the end of the league season (which this year, was as of the All Star Game) to exercise their options. At this point, teams can do one of four things:

1. Exercise their option for a player - thereby bringing them under contract for the 2010 season. OR

2. Waive their right to exercise their option - thereby forfeiting their rights to extend the player's contract for the 2010 season. As a result of waiving their option, the player then will become a free agent when free agency opens at the end of the options exercise period. OR

3. Do nothing, and let their option lapse, also rendering the player a free agent. OR

4. Sign the player to a NEW contract (rather than exercise her option) for the 2010 season and perhaps beyond. There are a few additional rules about this that apply depending on what the terms of the new contract are and whether or not the player was protected in the expansion draft, but I digress.

All of the above transactions result in a player being classified as one of two things: either under contract for their team for the 2010 season, OR - they are a free agent and can negotiate freely with any team when free agency opens. And that opens the day after the options exercise period ends. Which was today! (September 30th)

Questions we've received today would indicate that there's some confusion with regard to the term "waiver". There are waivers, and there are waivers of team options. There's a big difference.

Let's start with waivers. A team waives a player they have under contract if they want to break their contract with that player. But there are rules. First of all, you can only waive a semi-guaranteed player. If a player is a "guaranteed" player, they can't be waived at all. Our rules state that each team must carry a minimum of 4 guaranteed players on their roster. Semi guaranteed players can be waived at any time during a WPS season (or in pre-season) - up until July 1. At that time, all players become guaranteed players until the end of the season. Prior to July 1, however, semi-guaranteed players can be waived by their team. When this happens, WPS announces this waiver on the daily WPS player transaction wire, that goes out every day at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. At that point, a waived player is announced, along with some very basic information. For the next 24 hours, any other WPS team may pick up that player under the terms of her current contract. If more than one team claims the player, then a tiebreak system is used that has been agreed to beforehand. If NO team claims that player, then the player's contract terminates and she becomes a free agent.

Now we have a waiver of option - totally different. A waiver of option happens at the end of the season, when teams holding contracts to players with options on them, need to exercise their options - or not. This is the key distinction: waivers happen for a contract that is active for that current season. A waiver of option happens at the END of the season, and concerns whether or not a team wants to continue to hold that player's contract for the NEXT season. If they choose to waive that player's option, the player will become a free agent as of the opening of free agency. There is no waiver wire associated with a waiver of option - no 24 hours that teams have to claim the player, etc. Rather, it is simply whether or not the team wishes to exercise its right to extend the contract for the next year - or not.

Now why would a team waive an option? Well, first of all, it could be because it is a mutual option (meaning both the player and the team have to agree) and the team knows that they won't get the deal done with the player, so they waive (or the player waives), knowing that once free agency starts, they can continue to talk to the player, but then as a free agent. Or, of course, they could do nothing and simply let their mutual option lapse, having the same effect.

A team could also waive because, while they are interested in still having the player play with their team, they want to renegotiate different terms of the contract. If they can't agree to new terms before the options exercise deadline occurs, then they either waive the player (or let the option lapse), thereby breaking their contract and then talking to her as a free agent.

And finally, a team could waive a player because for whatever reason, it didn't work out and they wish to relinquish their rights beyond the 2009 season.

Wow, I think that about covers it. The free agency period has begun, with a LOT of terrific names out there that are free agents. Should be a fun next few weeks and months!