Ray’s Ramblings: Qualifying Offers 2016

Published: Nov 08, 2016

WHAT IS A QUALIFYING OFFER?

The qualifying offer for 2016 is $17.2 million for one year of salary.

It’s an average of the top-125 salaries in baseball the previous season.

The offer can be extended to any free agent with one exception. Players who were traded in season, such as Aroldis Chapman, are not eligible for the qualifying offer.

The offer must be extended within five days of the completion of the World Series.

The player can accept the one-year deal.

If the player turns down the deal he becomes a free agent.

If the player does turn down the offer he is then tied to draft pick compensation. This means that the team that signs the free agent will have to forfeit their first unprotected pick in the following year’s draft (the 2017 Draft). The first 10 selection sports are protected. Here are those 10 teams for the 2017 Draft: the Twins, Reds, Padres, Rays, Braves, Athletics, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, and Angels. The top picks don’t go directly to the teams that lost the free agent. Instead, those teams get a pick at the end of the first round.

Last year was the first time that an offer was ever accepted as Brett Anderson, Colby Rasmus and Matt Wieters accepted. All told, 20 players received the offer last season. This year there were just 10.

PLAYER	TEAM	COMMENTS
Jose Bautista	TOR	I broke down Jose Bautista in Free Agency is Coming.
Yoenis Cespedes	NYM	I broke down Yoenis Cespedes in Free Agency is Coming.
Ian Desmond	TEX	He had a resurgent season going 20/20 with a .285 average, 86 RBI and 107 runs scored. Slowed in the second half and has holes, but it's hard to ignore the production.
Edwin Encarnacion	TOR	I broke down Edwin Encarnacion in Free Agency is Coming.
Dexter Fowler	CHC	I broke down Dexter Fowler in Free Agency is Coming.
Jeremy Hellickson	PHI	I broke down Jeremy Hellickson in Free Agents & 2016 Performance.
Kenley Jansen	LAD	Jansen has 44, 36 and 47 saves the last three years. Career: 2.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 13.92 K/9. One of the most dominant relievers – ever.
Mark Trumbo	BAL	Trumbo has his best season with 47 HRs, 108 RBI and 94 runs scored (all career bests). Four times in six years he’s gone 29-87 or better.
Justin Turner	LAD	Turner has been one of my favorites for years. Coming off his best season he will get paid as he went .275-27-90-79. He’s quietly one of the most effective 3Bs in baseball.
Neil Walker	NYM	Walker has a back issue which required surgery. Should be fine next season, should be, and is coming off a career best 23 homers and .823 OPS over just 113 games.