MLB qualifying offers: Three players who are most likely to accept the $18.4 million, one-year deal

On Sunday, Major League Baseball’s teams combined to tender qualifying offers to 14 players ahead of the official deadline. These gamers will now have till Nov. 17 to simply accept the supply (a one-year deal price $18.4 million) or reject it and head into free company with the requirement that their subsequent groups give up draft-pick compensation. 

Here’s a full record of the aforementioned 14 gamers:

• 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 

We’re nothing if not the messy, speculative form. As such, we have determined to spotlight three gamers who we expect might settle for the qualifying supply and return to their present groups for one more yr. (Do notice that the gamers are listed under so as of their perceived probability of accepting the QO, and that that is extra of an artwork than a science.)

1. Noah Syndergaard, Mets

Syndergaard is, by far, probably the most logical candidate to simply accept the tender. He is appeared in simply two big-league video games because the finish of the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgical procedure and varied setbacks. In these appearances, he confirmed diminished fastball velocity and he didn’t throw a single breaking ball. Syndergaard’s monitor report and upside would make him an interesting pillow-contract candidate for any variety of groups, but it surely appears unlikely they’d supply him greater than $18.4 million. He would possibly desire to remain in a well-recognized setting anyway. (Mets outfielder Michael Conforto would’ve ranked on right here, however stories from final month recommended he would decline the QO.)

2. Raisel Iglesias, Angels

Relievers are all the time prone to taking the qualifying supply. Iglesias will most likely decline and pursue a deal that matches or exceeds the three-year, $54 million contract Liam Hendriks inked with the Chicago White Sox final winter. Nevertheless it must be tempting to take the positive factor and kick the long-term deal aspirations a bit of additional down the street. Once more, we’re rating him right here as a result of you may by no means make sure with aid pitchers.

Former Marlins president David Samson reacted to the record of gamers with qualifying affords on Monday’s Nothing Private with David Samson. Pay attention under:

3. Brandon Belt, Giants

There is a affordable likelihood we’re confirmed to be too low on Belt and his prospects this winter. We ranked him 23rd on our top 50 free agent list because of what appeared to be decaying bat speed. As we wrote then: “On pitches that have been not less than 94 mph, he recorded an 82-mph exit velocity and a 36 p.c whiff charge; his worst marks within the earlier three seasons had been 85-mph and 26 p.c.” (After all, he nonetheless had a extremely productive season, so possibly none of that basically issues). What is perhaps extra essential is that Belt is a 33-year-old first baseman hitting the market at a time when the market doesn’t take kindly to older, corner-only gamers.