In a recent development, 13 free agents, including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Willy Adames, were offered $21.05 million qualifying offers on Monday. The likes of Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and Max Fried also received the one-year offer before the deadline. These players have until 4 p.m. EST on Nov. 19 to accept the offer, which would bind them to their 2024 club for another season. However, if they decline and choose to sign with another team, their new organization will have to forfeit draft picks, while their previous team will receive at least one draft pick as compensation.
Meanwhile, star pitcher Gerrit Cole decided to stay with the New York Yankees instead of becoming a free agent. The Yankees and Cole reached an agreement just before the 5 p.m. EST deadline, rescinding his free agency rights. This move was met with satisfaction from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who expressed that Cole is content with his current team.
On the contract front, Atlanta exercised Marcell Ozuna's $16 million option for 2025 but declined options on Luke Jackson and Travis d’Arnaud. Texas pitcher Nathan Eovaldi declined a $20 million option for next season with the Rangers, making him a free agent and earning a $2 million buyout.
Following their recent World Series defeat, the Yankees made a qualifying offer to Juan Soto, while the Dodgers extended the same offer to outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Notably, Boston pitcher Nick Pivetta, despite a mixed performance this year, also received a qualifying offer.
Other teams making qualifying offers included the New York Mets to Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino, and Baltimore to Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander. Only one offer was made by each of the other teams, with players like Christian Walker, Nick Martinez, and others receiving the qualifying offer.
It's worth mentioning that some notable free agents, such as Walker Buehler and Paul Goldschmidt, did not receive a qualifying offer and are now free to sign with any team without draft pick implications. Qualifying offers are only extended to players who have been with the same team since opening day and have never received such an offer before.
Overall, the MLB offseason is off to an intriguing start with several key players facing decisions that could shape the landscape of the league for the upcoming season.
