Twenty MLB players who are impending free agents have been offered a qualifying offer, but will anyone take it?
MLB free agency has officially begun, meaning all free agents can start signing with other teams. Twenty free agents who were given a qualifying offer still have an important decision to make: Do they accept a one-year payout worth $15,800,000, or do they turn it down in hopes of getting a better deal?
There are some factors that will play into each player’s decision. The biggest one being their thoughts on the open market. If a player believes that he could get more than $15,800,000 a season, or even get a long-term deal for less than $15,800,000, it makes sense for him to decline. Keep in mind that if a player declines a qualifying offer, it will cost the worst 10 teams in the league a second round pick and the other teams a first round pick.
Another factor that could play into each player’s decision is next year’s free agent market. If a player feels like he could easily make more money next offseason, he could accept the qualifying offer and delay free agency by one more year. That’s a pretty big gamble, but it’s one that could pay off.
After seeing players like Stephen Drew and Ervin Santana pretty much get screwed over by accepting their qualifying offers of the past few years, players who are uncertain about their market might be more open to accepting their qualifying offer. In the three seasons that the MLB has used this system, no one has accepted it. It wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw the first this season.
Let’s start by looking at who will absolutely NOT accept a qualifying offer.
Next: Who will obviously decline?