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Most MLB players become eligible for ordinary free agency after accumulating six years of Major League service, provided they have not signed a contract for the next season. That is a service-time threshold, not simply six years since a player’s debut or six full calendar seasons on an MLB roster. A qualifying offer is a separate, optional one-year offer from a player’s former club; accepting or rejecting it determines what happens next, and draft compensation applies only if specific conditions are met.
When does an MLB player become a free agent?
The ordinary route to free agency is based on Major League service time. The MLBPA’s FAQ states: “Players with six or more years of Major League service who have not signed a contract for the next season are eligible to become free agents.” Service time is not the same as the number of calendar years since a player debuted, nor does the threshold mean the player must have spent six complete seasons on an MLB roster.
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Players can also reach free agency through circumstances beyond this ordinary six-year route, but the six-year rule is the general threshold for the process described here. A player who has not reached it is not ordinarily eligible just because a contract has ended; other contract or roster circumstances would need to apply.
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Free agency follows a seasonal timetable tied to the World Series. Under Article XX of the 2022–2026 Major League CBA, a post-season quiet period initially allows the player to negotiate with the former club. When that period expires, the player may negotiate and sign with any club, subject to the agreement and any applicable rules.
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The exact dates move with the baseball calendar, so a deadline from one offseason should not be treated as permanent. For a particular player or offseason, use MLB’s published calendar and the applicable CBA deadlines rather than assuming the market opens on the same date every year.
What is a qualifying offer?
A qualifying offer, or QO, is an optional one-year contract offer that a club may make to an eligible free agent it is losing. It is not required for a player to become a free agent, and not every free agent receives one. Under the 2022–2026 CBA, the offer’s salary is set at the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players; the figure therefore changes from year to year.
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Which players can receive one?
The former club can make a QO only to a “Qualified Free Agent” under the CBA. In general, the player must have been continuously under reserve to that same club, at either the Major or Minor League level, since Opening Day of the completed season, and must never have received a qualifying offer before. MLB’s glossary also identifies in-season acquisitions as ineligible. These restrictions mean that a player’s free-agent status alone does not make him eligible for a QO.
How much was the 2026 offer?
For the 2025–26 offseason, MLB reported a QO value of $22.025 million for 2026, payable under a one-year offer. That is a season-specific figure, not a standing salary: the CBA formula is tied to the 125 highest-paid players, so a later offseason has a newly calculated amount.
What happens if a player accepts or rejects the offer?
The player has a limited decision period set by the offseason calendar. The two choices have different consequences:
- Accept: The player signs a one-year contract with the former club at that offseason’s QO salary for the next season.
- Decline: The player remains free to explore the market and negotiate with other clubs. Declining does not itself force him to sign with a particular team.
For the 2025–26 offseason, MLB reported that 13 players received QOs and four accepted by the November 18 deadline. Those counts describe that offseason only; they are not part of the permanent eligibility rule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does draft compensation work?
Compensation is conditional. The former club must have made a QO, the player must decline it (or sign elsewhere before the acceptance period ends), and the player must sign a Major League contract by the CBA’s compensation deadline. A bona fide Minor League contract does not trigger this compensation. The former club’s reward and the new club’s penalty are separate consequences, and each depends on the club’s classification.
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Pick received by the former club
The former club’s draft-pick position depends on its classification and, for a qualifying revenue-sharing recipient, the guarantee in the player’s new contract:
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| Former club classification | Draft pick received |
|---|---|
| Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) payor | After the fourth round |
| Qualifying revenue-sharing recipient; new contract guarantee is at least $50 million | After the first round |
| Qualifying revenue-sharing recipient; new contract guarantee is below $50 million | After Competitive Balance Round B |
| Other club | After Competitive Balance Round B |
Selections or pool money forfeited by the signing club
A club that signs a player who rejected a QO forfeits draft selections and may also lose international signing-pool money. The applicable penalty depends on the signing club’s classification and the number of QO-rejecting free agents it signs. MLB’s explanation says the first-round selection with the highest value is protected. These penalties apply to the new club; they are not the pick awarded to the former club.
MLB’s current glossary and Article XX set out the detailed compensation rules, including when a player is released from compensation after the following MLB Draft begins. Because the applicable draft and CBA deadlines are calendar-specific, check the rule for the relevant signing and draft rather than assuming a player remains compensation-attached indefinitely.
What is settled now, and what could change?
As of October 4, 2026, the 2022–2026 CBA governs these rules and is scheduled to expire on December 1, 2026, according to the MLBPA FAQ. MLB says successor-agreement negotiations began on May 12, 2026. Proposals discussed in those negotiations—including possible changes to free agency—are not current rules unless adopted in a new agreement.
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