free agent

free agent

1. A professional, especially an athlete, who is able to enter a contract with any organization without restrictions. The star quarterback will be a free agent when his contract ends after the season, and everyone expects him to sign with whatever team offers the most money.
2. By extension, a person who has no limitations placed on them by others, either professionally or socially. I just broke up with my girlfriend, so I'm a free agent again!
See also: free
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

free agent

1. A person not under compulsion or constraint, not responsible to any authority for his or her actions. For example, After he quit his job, he decided to pursue the same line of work as a free agent. Originally used to describe a person subject to the philosophic concept of free will (as opposed to determinism), this expression was first recorded in 1662. Later it was extended to mean "someone not under obligation to an authority."
2. A professional athlete who is free to sign a contract with any team. For example, After he was released from the Yankees, he was a free agent and could shop around for the team that offered the most money . [Second half of 1900s]
See also: free
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • sign with
  • sign with (someone or something)
  • tap up
  • walk away with
  • walk away with (something)
  • waiver
  • clear waivers
  • steal the spotlight
  • steal (one's) thunder
  • steal someone's thunder
References in periodicals archive
Given these estimates of teams' MWVs, we employ measures of each free agent's annual output of marginal wins over the life of his contract to calculate his MRP and compare it with his contract cost.
One of the toughest things about being a free agent is the need to continuously self-market to get assignments and to keep the income coming.
The subjects for this study (N = 367) included all Major League Baseball players who had changed teams at mid-season or between seasons for the years 1970 through 1989 as a result of a trade or free agency (after 1977 only for free agents).
The Cleveland Indians have declined the club option for Travis Hafner who is now a free agent.
Free Agents don't pay anything to sign up, but they must complete the straightforward process, which means having an actual payroll (client billing) processed through Free Agent Source.
Biz of Hockey brings you an updated list of all the free agent signings in the NHL since the free agent period began ($ coming soon) July 1:
Cole will be a free agent once his current deal expires on July 1.
A club may withdraw a franchise or transition designation and the player then automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent either immediately or when his contract expires.
A couple of Middle East clubs are believed to be showing interest but becoming a free agent would open the door to a wider variety of options.
Such a move would have vacated a potential slot for a free agent to be signed before the end of the campaign, but the Magpies discounted having more than 25 senior players on their books at any one time.
The special free agent day takes place immediately before the commencement of the Ninth National Medicare Supplement Insurance Summit.
ESPN said Sunday that Durant, the top free agent player available since the signing period began Friday, has told the six teams that made presentations to him.
Boston: Boston Red Sox re-signed free agent infielder Eduardo Nunez on Sunday for a reported $4 million.
As previously mentioned, if free agents do not include themselves when evaluating potential teams, [??] could overstate team quality for each free agent who is used in his own expected team.
He has a player option for next season and can become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.