TY - JOUR
T1 - Free-agent performance in major league baseball
T2 - Do teams get what they expect?
AU - Ahlstrom, David
AU - Si, Steven
AU - Kennelly, James
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Under certain conditions, equity and expectancy theories yield opposite predictions. This study examines one such situation. Performance statistics from a sample of 172 Major League Baseball free agents were collected for the 2 years before and 1 year after each player's free agency filing. Equity theory suggests that performance decrements will occur when players perceive they are undercompensated in their free-agent year. In contrast, expectancy theory suggests that players' performance will be superior when they are up for new contracts. During the 1st year of a free-agent player's new contract, equity theory predicts that his performance will be superior, whereas expectancy theory predicts that it will be lower. Free agents' performance tended to decline after they signed contracts with new teams. This study suggests that if Major League Baseball teams pay free agents based on free-agent-year performance, they might not be satisfied with the results.
AB - Under certain conditions, equity and expectancy theories yield opposite predictions. This study examines one such situation. Performance statistics from a sample of 172 Major League Baseball free agents were collected for the 2 years before and 1 year after each player's free agency filing. Equity theory suggests that performance decrements will occur when players perceive they are undercompensated in their free-agent year. In contrast, expectancy theory suggests that players' performance will be superior when they are up for new contracts. During the 1st year of a free-agent player's new contract, equity theory predicts that his performance will be superior, whereas expectancy theory predicts that it will be lower. Free agents' performance tended to decline after they signed contracts with new teams. This study suggests that if Major League Baseball teams pay free agents based on free-agent-year performance, they might not be satisfied with the results.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033436207&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/jsm.13.3.181
DO - 10.1123/jsm.13.3.181
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033436207
SN - 0888-4773
VL - 13
SP - 181
EP - 196
JO - Journal of Sport Management
JF - Journal of Sport Management
IS - 3
ER -
