Future considerations

Future considerations is a euphemism used in discussing transactions that usually refers to a small amount of money paid by a team to obtain a player's contract.

In theory, when a player is acquired for future considerations, it means that, at the end of the season, the acquiring team will send another player of equivalent value to the team that traded the original player. However, in practice, when a player is said to be traded for future considerations, it almost always means that his contract was sold for an amount of cash too inconsequential to be worthy of mention.

The term can also sometimes be used in a multi-player deal when one of the teams will complete the deal at a future date by sending either a minor league player or a sum of money. In this case, the so-called future considerations can have some actual value.