On January 8, 1987, several high-profile free agents are not signed by a midnight deadline, and thus will not be eligible to re-sign with their clubs until May 1, unless another team offers them a contract.
The players: Doyle Alexander, Bob Boone, Andre Dawson, Rich Gedman, Ron Guidry, Toby Harrah, Bob Horner, Lance Parrish, Tim Raines, and Gary Roenicke.
Tim Raines, OF: 5.5 WAR, 11 HR, 41 RBI, .320/.405/.475, 115 R, 30 2B, 70 SB, 184 HJack Morris, P: 5.1 WAR 21-8, 267.0 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 223 K, 15 CG, 6 SHOBrian Downing, OF: 4.3 WAR, 20 HR, 95 RBI, .267/.389/.452, 90 R, 27 2B, 4 SB, 137 HWillie Randolph, 2B: 4.1 WAR, 5 HR, 50 RBI, .276/.393/.346, 76 R, 15 2B, 15 SB, 136 HRick Gedman, C: 3.3 WAR, 16 HR, 65 RBI, .258/.315/.424, 49 R, 29 2B, 1 SB, 119 HLance Parrish, C: 3.1 WAR, 22 HR, 62 RBI, .257/.340/.483, 53 R, 6 2B, 0 SB, 84 HAndre Dawson, OF: 2.3 WAR, 20 HR, 78 RBI, .284/.338/.478, 65 R, 32 2B, 18 SB, 141 HDoyle Alexander, P: 1.2 WAR, 11-10, 228.1 IP, 4.14 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 139 K, 5 CGRon Guidry, P: 0.8 WAR, 9-12, 192.1 IP, 3.98 ERA, 1.248 WHIP, 140 K, 5 CG
The general lack of interest in the players will become the focus of the Players Association’s first anti-collusion suit against the owners. They will eventually be paid compensation when an investigation shows that owners colluded to keep salaries down.
