Non-drafted free agent
Non-drafted free agent, or amateur free agent, generally refers to a player who was not taken by a major league team in an amateur draft, thus becoming free to sign with any club. It often refers to foreign ballplayers (those from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and so forth) but occasionally it refers to American-born players as well. Sometimes, the players sign with an independent club and are then signed by a major league club. They are still referred to as non-drafted free agents (but not as amateurs).
Notable undrafted free agents from the US or Canada (and thus draft-eligible) include Kevin Mitchell, John Axford, Dan Quisenberry, Mike Adams, Bobby Bonilla, Larry Parrish, Mike Redmond, Daniel Nava, George Sherrill, Heath Bell, Matt Shoemaker, Kevin Millar, Corky Miller, Kirby Yates and Brian Horwitz.
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