How is it that a ball player would think that a minor league contract is better than a big league contract? This makes no sense!!!

i am trying to sign an int fa and don’t have enough money to bid on him.. but I am willing to gamble on him and sign him to a big league contract and skip his arb years. Yet no one has ever taken me up on this. Why would you put in this option if it never works!?!?

I agree with you, no IFA I've offered one to without them asking has taken it. But I have had two players take the big league contract.

First one was an IFA who actually demanded a big league contract. No idea how often those come along; I've never seen another one.
Second one was a regular minor league free agent, an unsigned draftee from the previous season. Great hitter so I offered big league.

So I guess the option is there, but maybe it only works under very specific conditions.

It used to work all the time (5 yrs ago). You could get an extra $1M on your bid by offering a BL contract.

They changed it so they never accept anymore. I’m guessing someone complained it wasn’t fair.