MLB free agency: 14 players receive qualifying offers, including Freddie Freeman and Justin Verlander

Sunday was an vital date on the 2021-22 offseason calendar. It was the deadline for groups to tender their eligible free brokers the qualifying provide (QO). Listed here are our top 50 free agents. 

The QO is a one-year contract set on the common of the highest 125 salaries in MLB ($18.4 million this yr). Free brokers who settle for the QO stick with their crew and free brokers who decline the QO are connected to draft choose compensation.

Here is everything you need to know about the QO and listed here are the 14 gamers who obtained the QO previous to Sunday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. All have been formally introduced by the respective groups:

• 1B Brandon Belt, Giants 
• OF Nick Castellanos, Reds 
• OF Michael Conforto, Mets 
• SS Carlos Correa, Astros 
• 1B Freddie Freeman, Braves 
• RHP Raisel Iglesias, Angels 
• LHP Robbie Ray, Blue Jays 
• LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, Red Sox 
• SS Corey Seager, Dodgers 
• IF Marcus Semien, Blue Jays 
• SS Trevor Story, Rockies
• RHP Noah Syndergaard, Mets 
• UT Chris Taylor, Dodgers
• RHP Justin Verlander, Astros 

Correa, Freeman, Ray, Seager, Semien and Story will clearly decline the QO. They’ve bigger paydays awaiting them. Castellanos opted out of the final two years and $34 million remaining on his contract earlier this week, so in fact he’ll flip down the one-year, $18.4 million qualifying provide.

Probably the most notable free agent to not obtain a qualifying provide is Clayton Kershaw. This doesn’t suggest he is essentially going to signal elsewhere, however it’s doable his Dodgers profession is over. 

Taylor is an attention-grabbing case. It is doable his worth will not be greater sooner or later, however he is had higher seasons. Belt is a profession Large coming off the 2 greatest offensive seasons of his profession, however he’ll be 34 subsequent season and it is doable he desires to check free company. Verlander is coming off Tommy John surgical procedure and is getting up there in age, so he may be tempted to take it. Then once more, he is by no means examined free company earlier than and there might be some bidding. 

Conforto and Syndergaard are candidates to simply accept the QO. Conforto had a down 2021 season round accidents and Syndergaard’s return from Tommy John surgical procedure was delayed a number of occasions. He returned in late September and threw solely two innings. Accepting the QO would permit each gamers to rebuild inventory in 2022, then check free company with no draft choose compensation connected subsequent yr.

It must be famous solely gamers who spent your entire season with one crew and haven’t obtained the QO beforehand are eligible to obtain it this yr. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Nelson Cruz, Starling Marte, Anthony Rizzo, and Max Scherzer had been all traded on the deadline and are thus ineligible for the QO. Kevin Gausman, Kenley Jansen, and Marcus Stroman have obtained it beforehand.

Gamers who settle for the QO will not be eligible to be traded till June 15 with out their consent, which prevents groups from in essence doing an quick “signal and commerce” through the use of the QO. Additionally, gamers who settle for the QO can comply with a long term contract. Jose Abreu settle for the QO in 2019, then he and the White Sox tore it up and changed it with a three-year, $50 million extension.

The acquire or lack of draft picks is tied to the posh tax, income sharing, and in addition the dimensions of the contract the free agent indicators. Players have until Nov. 17 to accept or reject the QO. Different notable free brokers who didn’t obtain the QO embody Blue Jays lefty Steven Matz, Brewers outfielder Avisail Garcia, Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani and Rockies starter Jon Gray.