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Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball announced that they have officially agreed on a new posting system, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The new agreement will be in place for three years.

Reports last week indicated that the two sides would have a conference call today to ratify the new system, which will cap the posting fee for a player at $20MM and allow all teams that tie for the highest bid to negotiate with the posted player. The new rules, according to an MLB release, are as follows:

• If an NPB Club wishes to make one of its players available to Major League Clubs, the NPB shall notify the Office of the Commissioner of the NPB player's potential availability and the "release fee" that a Major League Club must pay to the NPB Club in order to secure the NPB player's release. The NPB Club may not set a release fee at an amount higher than $20 million and the fee cannot be changed once it has been set by an NPB Club.
• The Office of the Commissioner shall then "post" the NPB player's availability by notifying all Major League Clubs of the NPB player's availability and the release fee sought by the NPB Club.
• All "postings" of NPB players must be made between November 1 and February 1.
• Beginning the day after the player is posted, and concluding 30 days later, any Major League Club willing to pay the release fee set by the NPB Club may then negotiate with the player in an attempt to reach agreement on a contract.
• If a Major League Club is able to reach an agreement on a contract with the posted NPB player, the Major League Club must pay the NPB Club the designated release fee, which will occur in installments, the timing of which depends on the size of the release fee.
• If the posted NPB player fails to reach an agreement with a Major League Club, the release fee is not owed, the NPB player remains under reserve to his NPB Club, and the player may not be posted again until the following November 1.
• The term of the new posting agreement is three years, continuing from year-to-year thereafter until either the Office of the Commissioner or NPB gives of its intent to terminate the agreement 180 days prior to the anniversary of the commencement of the agreement.

The biggest immediate impact presented by the new posting system will be felt when the Rakuten Golden Eagles decide whether or not to post ace Masahiro Tanaka. The 25-year-old has long been thought to be up for grabs this offseason, but the new rules don't sit well with the Golden Eagles ownership, as they'd been in line for a posting fee worth $75MM or more under the old system. Rakuten will reportedly talk to Tanaka this week to make their decision, but recent indications seem to point toward them keeping Tanaka for another year and possible posting him next season. Assistant GM Aki Sasaki recently told reporters that he does not think a $20MM posting fee is a fair trade for Tanaka.

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The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame's Expansion Era committee announced today that managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre have all been unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame. No players were elected by the 16-man committee, and also noticeably absent is former MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller.

Cox, 72, finished his managerial career with a record of 2,504-2,001. He managed the Blue Jays for four seasons but is most famous for serving as the Braves' skipper for 25 seasons, during which time he won a World Series title and also captured five National League pennants.

The 69-year-old La Russa brought home three AL pennants, three NL pennants and is a three-time World Series champion as a manager — once with the A's and twice with the Cardinals. In 33 seasons as a manager between the White Sox, A's and Cards, La Russa compiled a 2,728-2,365 record.

Torre, 73, managed at the Major League level for 29 seasons, leading the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers over the course of his career. Torre captured six American League pennants with the Yankees and led the Bronx Bombers to four World Series victories in a five-year span from 1996-2000. He finished with a career record of 2,236-1,997.

Remember that this is a separate vote from the annual Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame vote. The results of that ballot — which features candidates such as Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff and many more — will be announced next month on Jan. 8.

Something of the neighborhood of $1.25B has already been committed through free agency. At last count, MLB teams have agreed to thirty-five multi-year deals, sixteen of which have guaranteed three or more years. While plenty of players remain on the open market, a measure of intrigue has certainly been sapped from the week's proceedings.

And with more major pieces locked up, more teams enter the meetings with relatively few significant question marks. To take a few examples, the Nationals, Athletics, Giants, and Cardinals all appear as if they could head to Spring Training with nothing more than a few minor additions. The Red Sox are among the other teams that arguably fall in that group. As GM Ben Cherington recently said, Boston has performed much of the heavy lifting it set out to accomplish.

So, will Cherington — and other GMs — kick back all week? That seems unlikely. As the Boston GM explained, his club "probably shifted more to the opportunistic part of the offseason." An intriguing description, to be sure.  

Indeed, the relatively developed free agent market could be a catalyst for considering trades that might not be possible in a less static environment. Many teams already have a grasp on their 2014 payroll obligations and have largely committed to a strategic direction. Likewise, there is relative clarity in the market value and potential landing spots of the top remaining free agents. That means greater certainty to work from in exploring deals. And, of course, front offices should have somewhat more time on their hands to dedicate to exploring creative trade scenarios.

As the week unfolds, it will be fascinating to see how teams react to the early movement on the free agent market. It could well lead to some interesting, opportunistic maneuvers. MLBTR will have everything covered, as we once again provide around-the-clock, 24-hour coverage through Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees and Red Sox are at the center of the draft pick movement relating to players who declined qualifying offers. After all, they made six of this year's thirteen QOs, all of which were declined. (Click here for a refresher on how things work, courtesy of former MLBTR writer Ben Nicholson-Smith.)

Yesterday, we saw quite a few moves that had draft pick implications. The Yanks added Hiroki Kuroda and Carlos Beltran. Meanwhile, the club saw outgoing free agents Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson sign with the Mariners and Mets, respectively. Finally, Boston agreed to terms with Mike Napoli.

With Kuroda and Napoli rejoining their former clubs, their signings will not result in any draft pick changes. But the Yankees' other signings, in concert with their earlier deals with Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann, mean that the team stands to lose one pick in the aggregate: New York will give up its first round pick while sacrificing the two compensatory picks it would otherwise have received for the departure of Cano and Granderson. (As Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports via Twitter, an MLB official confirmed this result.)

As things stand, the Mariners and Mets also stand to sacrifice a pick (both of which will be second-rounders), while the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Braves are each in line to gain a compensatory selection. The remaining free agents that are tied to compensation are Shin-Soo Choo, Nelson Cruz, Stephen Drew, Ubaldo Jimenez, Kendrys Morales, and Ervin Santana.

*Updated to reflect last night's signings of Mike Napoli by the Red Sox and Carlos Beltran by the Yankees. 

We have all heard the talk of new money infusing the game of baseball, and early free agent spending seems to reflect that. The numbers on the recent run of free agent signings sound high, but what do they tell us about overall spending levels? A quick look reveals that, indeed, spending seems destined to rise significantly this year.

Working from the MLBTR Free Agent Tracker, and taking out the non-guaranteed deals and exercised options that are reflected in that database, MLB clubs have now committed nearly $1.24B to free agents for the 2013-14 signing period. (That number includes today's share of the binge, at least as of the moment of publication.) That money has gone to 55 players and guaranteed a total of 126 years. Teams have, to date, given out an average guarantee of $22.52MM per player at an average annual value of $9.83MM. 

Let's try and put that in context. I have been hard at work compiling various information on spending over the 2007-08 through 2012-13 signing seasons. (There will be plenty more to come on that, so consider this a preview.) The results show that we could be looking ahead to some remarkable new levels.

Here are the total dollars committed by season through free agency over the last six, completed signing seasons, compared to the current one. Note that prior years include all free agent spending, while this year's figures are only as of today (in $MMs):

As these numbers show, the league is well on its way to shattering previous high free agent spending totals: current commitments are already just under 85% of last year's sum, but we have probably seen less than half of the MLB deals that ultimately will be signed. Indeed, at last look, only half of MLBTR's top fifty free agents have reached agreement so far. 

Of course, the rate figures presented in the table will probably drop as the Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury deals are balanced out by smaller, shorter contracts. And it is doubtful that the other half of the market will command as much as the first half has. Indeed, as the table shows, the total number of years guaranteed through free agency has been fairly uniform. If that is any indication, teams may not be handing out all that many more multiyear deals, having already signed up to pay for 126 years to date; over 60% of the deals signed thus far have been for multiple seasons, an unsustainable level.

If we do a more apples-to-apples comparison, the multiyear deals we've seen thus far are also coming in above historical levels. Again, we might expect some regression here, but the initial returns are interesting to look at. Compared only to multiyear deals signed in past seasons, here is where the rates presently stand:

As this chart hints, there are some interesting similarities so far between this signing season and the 2007-08 period, which came before the global economic downturn. But that will have to remain a topic for another day. For now, while it is still too early to know where things will fall out, the total commitments per player and AAV numbers will be worth watching over the rest of the signing season.

And it is probably not too early to say that, at this point, it would be a considerable surprise not to see a sizeable jump in overall free agent spending levels when we ultimately look back on this signing season.

Two days ago, the Major League Baseball Players Association named former big league first baseman Tony Clark its new executive director following the tragic passing of former executive director Michael Weiner. Today, the MLBPA announced, in a second press release, that Hall of Famer Dave Winfield has been hired as a special assistant to Clark. Clark offered the following statement on his new colleague:

"It is an honor to welcome Dave Winfield to the MLBPA staff.  Dave’s passion and dedication to the game and the cause of players is legendary among the brotherhood of players.  His prominence and reputation inside and outside the game will serve all players – past, present and future – well."

Winfield himself offered his own thoughts on his new role:

"As a former union leader, I’m thrilled to be joining the ranks of the most accomplished and respected sports union in the country to help provide a generational link and historical perspective to today’s players. I have participated in nearly every aspect of the game, and I look forward to putting that experience to good use in support of Tony Clark and various MLBPA activities and initiatives."

During his playing days, Winfield spent 15 years as a player representative for the union. He then went on to serve as a founding member of the adivsory board of the Major League Baseball Players Trust following his retirement from the game. He's also served as a senior advisor in the Padres' front office. Winfield was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2001 after a career that saw him post a .283/.353/.475 batting line with 465 home runs, 223 stolen bases, 1833 RBIs and 1669 runs scored in a 22-year Major League career.

43 players joined the free agent ranks today after being non-tendered Monday by their respective teams.  MLBTR's Non-Tender tracker has the full list, which includes J.P. Arencibia, John Axford, Andrew Bailey, Ronald Belisario, Chris Coghlan, Chris Getz, Tommy Hanson, Jeremy Hefner, Daniel Hudson, Jayson Nix, Xavier Paul, Omar Quintanilla, Sandy Rosario, Ryan Webb, Jerome Williams, and Wesley Wright.

All those with at least 50 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched in the Majors last year have been added to MLBTR's free agent list and tracker.  For a look at the players who have avoided arbitration so far, check out our arbitration tracker.

Yesterday, MLB and the MLB Player's Association released the 2013 public report on the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (commonly referred to as the JDA). The report was compiled by Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson, the Independent Program Administrator.

The report addresses drug testing over the period between the start of the 2012-13 off-season and the end of the 2013 post-season. A total of 5,391 drug tests were conducted, 4,022 of which were urine samples analyzed for PEDs and/or stimulants. The remaining 1,369 instances were blood samples tested for human growth hormone (hGH).

Of the samples analyzed, eight resulted in "an adverse analytical finding that resulted in discipline," all of which were for the stimulants Adderall or Methylhexaneamine. The report also notes thirteen "non-analytical positives" that resulted in discipline. In addition, the league granted 122 therapeutic use exemptions, the vast majority of which were for Attention Deficit Disorder.

Comparison to last year's report shows marginal increases in overall testing numbers. In 2012, there were 5,136 samples taken, 3,955 of which were urine tests and 1,181 of which were for blood. That means that, along with 67 more of the former, there were an additional 188 instances of blood testing this time around. Therapeutic use exemptions remained relatively constant. The most interesting fact, perhaps, is that no positive PED tests were identified, down from seven last year. Instead, this time around, we saw the thirteen suspensions based upon Biogenesis-related investigation rather than testing. 

Of course, the JDA provides careful parameters for testing. Every player is subject to a urine test upon reporting to Spring Training and is subject to an additional random urine test at some point between the commencement of Spring Training and the end of the championship season (i.e., the conclusion of the regular season). The JDA allows 1,400 additional random tests, 200 of which were allowed to be performed during the off-season in the 2012-13 testing period. As for blood testing for hGH, every player must provide a sample at an unannounced point during Spring Training and a sample can also be taken in conjunction with an off-season urine test. The JDA also provides for further testing based upon reasonable cause as well as follow-up testing for disciplined players.

In large part, of course, the figures released yesterday confirm that the testing program took the form that the JDA contemplated. Last year, about 4.5 tests were performed for each of MLB's 1,200 available roster spots. (Of course, roster spots aren't always all full, and a good number of players cycle through them in a given season.)

But a good portion of the testing is not truly unpredictable, as it takes place at the start of or during the six-week Spring Training period. Assuming that the MLB testing figures reflect a relatively low number of reasonable cause and follow-up tests, something in the vicinity of 3,000 tests were essentially random. With about 320 non-Spring Training days on which those tests could theoretically have fallen, and 1,200 MLB roster spots available on a given day, the percentage of "player-days" that see some kind of surprise PED test is a comfortable bit less than 1%. 

Depending upon how baseball plans to implement and report its in-season hGH testing program, those testing rates stand to remain essentially constant through the life of the current JDA, which expires on December 1, 2016. So, is that sufficient, at least for the time being? 

As MLB COO Rob Manfred has explained, the frequency and randomness of testing is critical. Discussing minor league testing back in 2010, he said: 

"We not only incrased the number of tests conducted this year in the [Dominican Republic], but significantly altered the pattern of testing. And, whenever we do that, we get a spike. Major League, Minor League, in the DR, whenever we change the pattern so that it's not predictable, we get a spike."  

These old-but-illuminating comments are especially interesting in light of the fact that the testing system registered no PED hits this season after logging seven in 2012. It would seem naive to assume that the shift reflects a sudden and drastic reduction in PED use. But if it instead constitutes a step back for testing efficacy, what is the solution? Unless a numerical increase in tests can be negotiated, Manfred's past statement indicates that the league may need to get creative with its process to ensure that baseball's PED testing protocol adequately supports its disincentive system.