Record number of players receive $15.8M qualifying offers
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke was one of a record 20 free agents handed a $15.8-million qualifying offer ahead of Friday's deadline.
Those free agents have until Nov. 13 to either accept or reject the offer, though none of the 34 players ever to receive such an offer has ever accepted it in the previous three years of existence.
| Player | Pos | Team | 2015 Salary | Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Rasmus | OF | HOU | $8M | READ |
| Marco Estrada | SP | TOR | $3.9M | READ |
| Jason Heyward | OF | STL | $7.8M | READ |
| John Lackey | SP | STL | $507K | READ |
| Dexter Fowler | OF | CHC | $9.5M | READ |
| Brett Anderson | SP | LAD | $10M | READ |
| Zack Greinke | SP | LAD | $25M | READ |
| Howie Kendrick | 2B | LAD | $9.5M | READ |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | SP | SEA | $7M | READ |
| Daniel Murphy | 2B | NYM | $8M | READ |
| Ian Desmond | SS | WSH | $11M | READ |
| Jordan Zimmermann | SP | WSH | $16.5M | READ |
| Chris Davis | 1B | BAL | $12M | READ |
| Wei-Yin Chen | SP | BAL | $4.75M | READ |
| Matt Wieters | C | BAL | $8.3M | READ |
| Ian Kennedy | SP | SD | $9.85M | READ |
| Justin Upton | OF | SD | $14.5M | READ |
| Yovani Gallardo | SP | TEX | $14M | READ |
| Alex Gordon | OF | KC | $12.5M | READ |
| Jeff Samardzija | SP | CWS | $9.8 M | READ |
If a player rejects the qualifying offer and signs with a new team before the June amateur draft, the team that issued the offer would receive draft-pick compensation. The team signing the player would lose its first first-round pick, unless it's among the top 10, then it would surrender its next highest pick.
While the likes of Greinke, Jason Heyward, Jordan Zimmerman, Justin Upton, and Chris Davis are locks to decline the offer, there are several intriguing players this year who could look to accept.
Marco Estrada, Colby Rasmus, and Wei-Yin Chen are all potential candidates to take the payday over one season, rather than try and find a multi-year deal. Their options could also be limited to the fact that they are now linked to draft-pick compensation, forcing teams to stay away for risk of losing a top pick.