The Blue Jays will not be making a qualifying offer to righty Josh Johnson, MLBTR has learned. Even after a lost season wrecked by injuries, there was a small chance that the Jays would overpay to get the 29-year-old under contract for 2014. Had the Blue Jays made the $14.1MM qualifying offer, it's likely Johnson would have accepted, as he's not expected to reach that salary on the open market.
Johnson, profiled by MLBTR here, ranked 30th on our Top 50 Free Agents list. He's expected to be ready for Spring Training after elbow surgery this month, and will be seeking a one-year deal to rebuild value. A few days ago, agent Matt Sosnick told Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press, "If Toronto doesn't make a qualifying offer, we'll probably be looking for a good pitching atmosphere, a good defense behind him and a team with a good chance to win."
