THURSDAY: Officially, all nine players have rejected their qualifying offers and become free agents, the MLBPA has announced (h/t Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, on Twitter).
MONDAY: All nine of the free agents that received a one-year, $17.4MM qualifying offer will reject that offer in favor of free agency, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports writes. Each of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis, Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, Greg Holland and Carlos Santana will turn down that one-year opportunity in search of a multi-year pact in free agency.
In doing so, that group of nine will also subject themselves to draft-pick compensation and position their former clubs to recoup some value in next year’s amateur draft should they sign elsewhere. Last offseason’s new collective bargaining agreement altered the specifics of that compensation, tying the draft picks received and surrendered largely to the luxury tax threshold, revenue sharing and the size of the contract signed by the free agent in question.
MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained which draft picks each of the six teams that issued a qualifying offer would receive, should their free agents sign elsewhere, as well as which picks all 30 teams would be required to surrender if they are to sign a qualified free agent. Prior to that, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk provided a more comprehensive and in-depth overview of the new QO system, for those that are unfamiliar or would like a refresher on the finer details.
It’s been reported for quite some time that Kansas City will make a strong effort to retain Hosmer. Heyman added over the weekend that the Royals will also push to keep Moustakas but feel that Cain is almost certain to land elsewhere on the open market. The Rockies are known to have interest in re-upping with Holland on a multi-year deal, and Heyman notes within today’s column that the Rays “understand [Cobb] is out of their reach financially” and will sign elsewhere. He also adds that Davis seems to be likelier than Arrieta to return to Chicago.
It’s unlikely that there will be any formal announcements just yet. Among the changes to the QO system under the 2017-21 CBA was that QO recipients would have 10 days, rather than seven, to determine whether to accept or reject the offer. The deadline to issue QOs was last Monday, so the recipients still technically have until this coming Thursday to formally declare their intention. But, barring a last-minute freak injury it seems that each of the nine will go the widely expected route and enter free agency in search of the most substantial contracts in their respective careers.
Doubt anyone was expecting any of them to accept. Glad Cleveland will get some compensation for Santana and the Royals might have a crazy draft pool this year
Unless Slamtana, Hosmer, or Moose resign with respective team.
Yeah if all 3 Royals sign for over $50 mill, they will have 3 picks after this first round. Crazy.
Hosmer seems the likeliest to stay and I don’t think it’s crazy to see the royals overpay for him, just because he’s worth so much for to them than anyone else. But if someone else does sign him, then the other 2 will certainly sign for more than $50. Huge win for the royals in that case.
I like the idea in the MLBTR article a few days ago about them letting Hosmer walk and bringing Morrison in for cheaper.
Huge win? Not really! Especially considering what all they could’ve got for them at the trade deadline last year.
Matt Klentak still standing alone waving the Jeremy Hellickson flag.
What does this even mean? Always trying to be a wise guy this guy here thinks he’s a GM because he wore a tie one time in his life and someone took a picture of it. LOL I don’t believe it.
1
Google “FreeAEC”…as another poster pointed out, chances are it’s the same guy. First time I say his posts here on MLBTR I was pretty certain it was “Free” but I couldn’t remember the name. I saw his never-ending and obsessive posts about Middleton etc years ago on other sites.
Bringing up topics that don’t have anything to do with the article, again.
the last paragraph should have been first. or just wait until the ten days is up to release the article.
Nothing to see here.
Right.
“ . . . Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports writes.”
This is a writer’s speculation not any sort of formal declaration or announcement.
You could call it a “rumor!”
I could see Wade Davis to the Pirates 5/$75m with the last year being a player option.
Why? They have Rivero at the back end. Also what gives you the impression the Pirates are ever going to pay that much for an over-30 closer? They’ll add some pieces to the back end to fill vacancies from Nicasio, Watson leaving. But no way they make a big splash in FA closers.
Davis walked more than 4 per 9, is 32 next season and you want to offer him, A CLOSER, 5 years?
lolol, glad you are not running my favorite team
I agree!
Five years for Davis!!! Hahahha
The Rangers needs to work a deal and pick up these guys. I do think John Daniels is in win now mode. So go out and release players to pick all-star players and sign them to multi-year deals
Do you want all nine of them? You do realize releasing players does not clear their contract, right?
So the cubs have to wait until Thursday to announce Cobb ?
What a world we live in that guys turn down $17.4 to play baseball….
“What a world we live in that guys turn down $17.4 to play baseball….””
A world where some guy who calls himself the “owner”of the team demands the taxpayers build him a free billion dollar ballpark and then this guy calling himself the “owner”extracts tens of millions of dollars more every year than the highest paid superstar in MLB.
Nice work if you can get it, this “owner”thing.
These guys playing “Who wants to be a $50-$100 millionaire” not giving up at $17.4 when they’ve made it this far! Only the top percentile gets the chance. Good on them for believing in themselves.
What a stupid comment
If you had an elite skill that very few people in the world have, you would do the same. Unfortunately for you, you are mostly talentless and useless.
Which one has the most trouble signing because of the lost draft picks?
Cobb?
Hosmer. Between the ridiculous notions of Scott Boras and the fact that Santana will get signed first, I’d put money down that Hosmer is the last to sign out of that group
Cobb due to ERA, lack of power, etc. I truly dislikes his stats and think he should have taken the QO in order to prove what type of player he is. Because so far, he doesn’t look like the same player post-surgery.
His era is better then fullmer archer and darvish. Coming back from tommy John he couldn’t this his famous “thing pitch”. I think he will have a better year in 2018. He was 23 rd in era 20 In whip and 29 in batting average against. Not shabby.
I wonder who will be the first free agent to have their agent float a fake contract offer this year like Jeff Samardzija, Chase Headley and James Shields did.
Cobb probably signs first and may have a contract in hand already with either dodgers or cubs. Two plus pitches and bulldog, big game mental game!
If you really believe in yourself then take 17mm year by year but I get it. Have to secure the most money guaranteed you can get to provide for your family for long time lol
Hosmer n Santana will struggle the most in this group as there is glut of 1b in this market. Plus many cheap options coming up the minors!
Ok Cubs sign Cobb now. And Davis but that’s doubtful.
Maybe just maybe the Rangers can land atleast two pitchers outta this bunch
We will be lucky if one of the 9 lands in Texas. Maybe the Cubs have locked up Cobb but maybe the Rangers have last caked up Arrieta.
Locked up Arrieta
In other news today water is wet.