Jeff Samardzija turned down his qualifying offer from the White Sox on Friday and will remain a free agent, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

Samardzija turned down his qualifying offer from the White Sox on Friday and will remain a free agent, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

Analysis:

The move comes as little surprise, as Samardzija will be able to command a multi-year deal likely worth more than the $15.8 million qualifying offer. The 30-year-old suffered through a rough contract year, putting up a 4.96 ERA while seeing a decline in his strikeout rate to 6.9 K/9. He should still generate substantial interest on the open market, and the White Sox will receive a compensatory draft pick when he signs elsewhere.