MLB teams have already offered some of their free agents the so-called “qualifying offer.”
The qualifying offer is the mean salary of some of the top MLB players, which is valued at $20.325 million for the upcoming season.
Players who are extended a qualifying offer can accept it, in which case they will play next season on a one-year, $20.325 million contract.
If they reject it, they remain free agents and their old teams will receive draft pick compensation should they choose to sign elsewhere.
According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, none of the seven players who received the offer this year will accept it.
“None of the seven MLB free agents who received a qualifying offer will accept it by today’s deadline, per source,” he tweeted.
None of the seven MLB free agents who received a qualifying offer will accept it by today’s deadline, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 14, 2023
Those players are Shohei Ohtani, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Josh Hader, Aaron Nola, and Sonny Gray.
All of them are expected to sign long-term deals, potentially worth significantly more than $20.325 million per year in the majority of cases.
Chapman was perhaps the most likely to accept the qualifying offer, but even he opted to test the open market hoping to score a multi-year deal.
All the pitchers in the group will likely get a lot of attention in negotiations: top pitching is always in demand, and that drives up their prices significantly.
Ohtani has the potential to score a $500 million contract, or perhaps even more, while Bellinger re-established his value with a top season in 2023.
Chapman wasn’t stellar, but he remains a top defender with some pop.
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