I can't imagine Ramirez counts. Imagine this scenario: The arb deadline rolls around and Aramis still hasn't signed anywhere. The Cubs offer him arb and he accepts. According to the old CBA, the Cubs signing "free agent" Ramirez in that way would not count against their quota. Regardless, someone brings this up every offseason and it never, ever comes into play. This is incorrect. Here's the language directly from the old CBA: The Club shall be deemed not to have signed a free agent for purposes of paragraph (5) of this Section B when a Player accepts salary arbitration pursuant to this paragraph (3). CFP, thanks, but I've read the applicable passages of the CBA. I've bolded the passage I was referring to in my hypothetical. If a team signs one of its own free agents via the arb process, that signing doesn't count against the quota. If that doesn't count, I don't see why a non-arb agreement would. It could, but it would be altogether nonsensical (of course, I wouldn't put nonsense past MLB).