Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger among 7 to get qualifying offers as 168 free agents hit the market

6

Shohei Ohtani, the dual-threat phenom, and Cody Bellinger are among seven distinguished players who were extended qualifying offers of $20,325,000 by their respective teams as a new class of 168 free agents stepped into the market on Monday.

These athletes, given the market dynamics, are projected to forgo these initial offers by the November 14 deadline, seeking more lucrative, multi-year deals.

Ohtani, from the Los Angeles Angels, leads the pack, with Bellinger (now with the Chicago Cubs), and a quintet of pitchers — Josh Hader and Blake Snell from San Diego, Aaron Nola of Philadelphia, Minnesota’s Sonny Gray, and Matt Chapman, the third baseman from Toronto — also receiving qualifying bids.

The strategic issuance of a qualifying offer, calculated as the median of the top 125 salaries in the sport, positions a player’s original team to acquire an extra pick in the following July’s amateur draft, should the player sign with a different team before then. Conversely, the new team may face the loss of one or more draft picks.

In an indicator of this year’s free agent pool depth, the number of qualifying offers has dropped by 50% from the previous year. Since the inception of this system in 2012, only 10 out of 124 qualifying offers have been accepted.

Leading the free agent cohort alongside Ohtani are noteworthy starting pitchers like Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery, with Nola, Snell, Gray, and the acclaimed Yoshinobu Yamamoto from Japan, who is exempt from draft pick compensation, completing the list.

During the exclusive five-day negotiation window, Milwaukee’s Colin Rea was the lone player to re-sign, agreeing to a $4.5 million contract for one year.

Contract option resolutions saw varied outcomes. The Atlanta Braves exercised a $20 million option for veteran Charlie Morton, while deciding against retaining Eddie Rosario, Collin McHugh, and Kirby Yates, who will receive buyouts. Meanwhile, Detroit confirmed Mark Canha’s $11.5 million option after acquiring him from Milwaukee, who had the alternative to enact a $2 million buyout.

The Toronto Blue Jays secured their bullpen by picking up Chad Green’s option, ensuring him $21 million across 2024 and 2025. Green had previously undergone Tommy John surgery and returned to pitch with a 5.25 ERA over 12 games.

Michael Wacha entered free agency as San Diego declined their option on him, and he declined his own player options for the subsequent years.

Johnny Cueto and Matt Barnes were released into free agency by Miami, receiving buyouts of $2.5 million and $2.75 million, respectively.

Other players with options exercised include Alex Cobb by San Francisco, Brooks Raley by the Mets, and Blake Treinen by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In decisions to stay, Tigers’ Javier Báez, Giants’ Michael Conforto, and Ross Stripling from Miami, along with Josh Bell and Drew Smyly from the Cubs, chose not to opt out of their current contracts.

Báez, despite a dip in performance, will maintain salaries of $25 million annually for two seasons, followed by $24 million in the subsequent years. Conforto and Bell decided to remain with their current salaries after their respective performances last season. Stripling chose to stay on his $12.5 million salary despite a challenging season.

Smyly also remained on his $10.5 million salary, following a season with mixed results in his starting and relieving roles.

Adam Ottavino, the Mets right-hander, declined his $6.75 million option after a season with a solid ERA across 66 relief appearances.

For more detailed coverage and updates on MLB free agency, visit AP MLB.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about MLB free agency 2023

More about MLB free agency 2023

• Shohei Ohtani’s Qualifying Offer
• Cody Bellinger and Free Agency
• MLB Free Agent Market Opens
• Contract Options and MLB Player Decisions
• 2023 MLB Free Agency Updates