Seven players must accept or reject their $17.9 million qualifying offers by 5 p.m. ET on Monday.
Free agency across Major League Baseball is underway, and after ten days evaluating their options, seven marquee free agents are set to either accept or reject a $17.9 million qualifying offer by the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Monday.
On Nov. 2, seven of the league’s prominent free agents, including Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, received qualifying offers from their respective teams. The offer is considered the closest thing MLB has to a franchise tag, a system meant to prevent teams from losing top free agents. When a team gives a qualifying offer to a player, that player has the option to take a one-year deal at the mean salary of the top 125 players in the game. This year, that salary is $17.9 million.
Players have ten days to decide whether they will accept the offer or reject it in favor of a multi-year deal out in the market. If the player chooses to sign with another club, the team receives a draft-pick compensation. A full explanation of the new qualifying offer rules under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement can be found here.
Here are the seven players who received the qualifying offer last week, what their teams will receive if they sign elsewhere and the latest news as the 5 p.m. deadline approaches.
• Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals: Pick after Round 4
• Dallas Keuchel, LHP, Houston Astros: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
• Patrick Corbin, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks: If signed for at least $50 million, pick between 1st round and Competitive Balance Round A. If signed for less than $50 million, pick after Competitive Balance Round B.
• A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks: If signed for at least $50 million, pick between 1st round and Competitive Balance Round A. If signed for less than $50 million, pick after Competitive Balance Round B.
• Yasmani Grandal, C, Los Angeles Dodgers: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
• Hyun-Jin Ryu, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
• Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Red Sox: Pick after Round 4
Be the first to comment