NEWSLETTER
The Qualifying Offer deadline has arrived, and fourteen free agents are going to be attached to draft pick compensation if they don’t accept the one-year, $19.65 million offer.
The full list, via Jeff Passan:
Aaron Judge
Trea Turner
Xander Bogaerts
Jacob DeGrom
Dansby Swanson
Carlos Rodón
Brandon Nimmo
Willson Contreras
Chris Bassitt
Anthony Rizzo
Tyler Anderson
MartÃn Perez
Joc Pederson
Nathan Eovaldi
Teams got aggressive this year! I could see upwards of five players – the last five on that list – considering accepting the offer, which is a pretty sizable one-year payday for some of those guys (to say nothing of the fact that, if they reject, their markets are really going to take a hit from the draft pick cost).
Typically, players have had 10 days to accept or reject their Qualifying Offer, but this year it’s just five days. Decisions are due by November 15, which is also the deadline to roster players for purposes of the Rule 5 Draft.
It has been reported that Willson Contreras has already decided to reject the Qualifying Offer, which is not necessarily a huge surprise. When he signs with a new team, he’ll cost them draft pick(s) and IFA bonus pool money. For the Cubs, though, his signing will net them a compensatory draft pick after the second round.
As for the other top free agents who will reject their offers, the Cubs will have to weigh signing them against the loss of their second round draft pick and $500,000 in IFA bonus pool money. Getting a compensatory pick for Contreras, though, might help that decision …
