One of the governors on the free agent market is the qualifying offer, where an old team offers a free agent to be a contract (last year it was $15.3 million) for one year. If the player declines, he is a full free agent. If another team signs him, that team must forfeit an unprotected first round draft pick.
Except for the elite, elite, the forfeiture of a draft pick stings general managers who now covet their draft picks for cheaper, long term control over talent.
James Shields finds himself in such a squeeze. He is ranked the third best FA pitcher on the market, but he has the yoke of the qualifying offer.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX reported that free agent starter Shields has a five-year, $110 million offer on the table from an unknown team, most likely the Yankees, Tigers, and Angels. These high budget teams would make the most sense if
they are willing to forfeit a draft pick for the privilege of signing
the right-hander.
The Yankees are the one team that does not mind losing draft picks to sign FA talent, because most likely they will receive draft picks when their free agents go on the open market. In essence, the Yankees are merely moving down 5 or 6 slots to the supplemental round to pick up one or two more bodies prior to the second round.
Shields rap is that he is a final injury away from being shut down for good. Jon Lester already hit is jackpot with the Cubs ($155 million) and Max Scherzer is holding out for an unattainable sum of $200 million, so Shields seems the most "reasonable" #1 starter left on the market since the Dodgers filled out their rotation depth with two second tier starters, Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson.
