BBL's best ever among 52 free agents in trade period

A host of the Big Bash's best of all-time are among 52 free agents eligible to be snapped up by rival clubs as the league enters a new age of player movement.

Chris Lynn, the competition's leading men's run-scorer, and three of the BBL's top five bowlers – Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson and Jason Behrendorff – are just some of the biggest name free agents on the market from 9am this morning.

Behrendorff, who turns 35 in April, has been closely linked with a move to Melbourne Renegades, leaving the future of veteran 'Gades paceman Richardson uncertain.

The 38-year-old Tye's future is also unclear after he was left out of the Perth Scorchers' line-up for part of the KFC BBL|14 season in a clear pivot to youth by the league's most successful club.

The Scorchers, who missed the finals for the first time in five seasons, secured spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar for another three years prior to the contracting deadline, but Behrendorff and Tye weren't among the 10 players they were permitted to re-sign before an embargo kicked in at the conclusion of the home-and-away season.

Australia T20 captain Mitch Marsh, who has played just one match in the past three seasons for the Scorchers due to international commitments and injury, is also an eligible free agent after his four-year deal expired at the end of BBL|14.

With emerging speedster Mahli Beardman, and allrounders Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie locked away, it's a clear sign the five-time champions are looking to the future.

Lynn, whose BBL|14 campaign was curtailed by a hamstring injury, has signed three consecutive one-year deals with Adelaide Strikers and all indications are he will do so again for BBL|15.

The 34-year-old was again destructive with the bat during his seven appearances this season with a match-winning knock of 88 against the Renegades followed by scores of 49 and 47 in his final three games.

Tim David and Matt Renshaw are also among the pool of eligible free agents and have attracted interest, but their respective clubs are both confident of signing them to new deals when the contracting embargo lifts in March.

A full list of the 52 eligible free agents during a 10-day Player Movement Window can be found here.

New this year, the Player Movement Window allows clubs to sign an eligible free agent or trade players or draft picks with other teams. They are not permitted to re-sign or extend an existing player during the period.

Players must have held a primary domestic contract (49 players) with a BBL club or a Cricket Australia marquee supplementary contract (Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc) prior to expiration of their deal at the end of BBL|14 to be considered an eligible free agent.

Overseas recruits and replacement players whose contracts have expired are ineligible for contracting during the window.

"Introducing Player Movement Windows has added another strategic dimension to both the WBBL and BBL this season," league boss Alistair Dobson said.

"Trade activity immediately after the WBBL Final created strong discussion among our fans, broadcasters and the media, while also adding certainty and stability for those players who did sign for a new club."

The Player Movement Window will close on Thursday, February 6 at 5pm AEDT with no further contracting activity permitted until the lifting of the embargo, which the league anticipates to occur in March.