The Rockies won’t issue qualifying offers to any of their free agents today, general manager Jeff Bridich tells Nick Groke of The Athletic (Twitter link). Second baseman DJ LeMahieu and emergent relief star Adam Ottavino may have been fringe candidates to receive a $17.9MM QO, but instead both will reach the open market free of draft-pick compensation for interested parties.
LeMahieu, 30, has seen his offense tail off since winning a batting title in a brilliant 2016 campaign. He’s followed up that .348/.416/.495 effort with a combined .767 OPS and posted an unspectacular .276/.321/.428 slash in 128 games this season despite his hitter-friendly home setting. This year’s 6.4 percent walk rate was his worst since 2014. However, LeMahieu remains a premium defensive second baseman — arguably the game’s best — and he showed career-best power while proving to be a characteristically difficult strikeout for opposing pitchers. His 2016 season will likely go down as a clear career year and a general outlier, but he should still garner interest on multi-year pacts in free agency.
Ottavino, meanwhile, rebounded from some troubling control issues in 2017 (his first season back from Tommy John surgery) to break out as a dominant late-inning force for skipper Bud Black. In 77 2/3 innings, Ottavino turned in a pristine 2.43 ERA. His 36.3 percent strikeout rate checked in eighth among 151 qualified relievers, though it’s worth noting that his 11.7 percent walk rate was the 21st-highest in that same group. Nonetheless, the right-hander’s ability to miss bats and his strong ratings from fielding-independent metrics like FIP (2.74), xFIP (3.13) and SIERA (2.82) should help him to receive multi-year interest in free agency — perhaps as much as a three-year offering.
Ottavino worth $17.9 million? Dream on
Could be why they declined to do the QO.
Hence, no qualifying offer
He will get paid. Just not that much. Though if he had the track record like wade Davis,they probably would have gave one to him
A qualifying offer wouldn’t mean he’s worth $17.9MM on a one-year deal necessarily. Players who aren’t worth the QO value on a one-yea deal reject it frequently in search of a multi-year contract. I’d bet Ottavino has a chance at upwards of $10MM per season on a three-year deal, but the gap between that total and the QO sum wasn’t sizable enough that Colorado was comfortable risking it, clearly. It’d have been hard for him to turn down.
This is another example of a flaw in the current system. The QO takes into account all players salaries. It should take into account just the postition he plays. A QO say (random number here just guessing) 12 mil to RP, would be easier to turn down and much more realistic for RP as there’s only a few who have ever made close to 18 mil a season.
It should account what the player made. If his last trip through arb made him 11.3 mil then a qo should be 12-13
But it a guy made 20 plus on his last trip through arb then it should reflect
Like the Franchise tag in the NFL? The average of the top five salaries at the player’s position. Would be a good idea but it too tricky. Is Machado a SS or 3B? I am sure the average salary for a 3b is a lot higher.
Exactly; I mean, if Ottavino started one game would he be a starter or a reliever? The NFL, of course, is a cruel system anyway w/r/t player salaries and certainly not one that MLB should emulate.
RP obviously. I know what you’re saying but Ottavino is easy. Now Marwin Gonzalez might be harder to define. Nfl system would work better for Mlb than nfl where a players career is much longer on average
Seriously? You think if he starts one game there’s a serious question of whether he’s a starter or reliever? That’s just idiotic. This is not that complicated – whatever position he plays the majority of his games at is his listed position
The Mets should target both players. Lemahieu would be a solid 2nd base option plus security blanket to Jeff McNeil and Ottavino would be a great set-up pitcher for them. If the Mets could sign both Ottavino & Cody Allen to close, the Mets would be on the rise………instantly.
Are you sure?
Even with the addition of Lemahieu, the offense would still suck. They need a first basemen, a catcher, potentially a third basemen so that Frazier can turn into a 1B/3B bench option.
And why would LeMahieu sign a contract to be McNeil’s insurance policy backup? Even if he was willing to sign somewhere he thought he back up, why at a rate anyone would pay for a backup? It may be 2 years since he won a batting title, but he’s neither a backup nor that cheap. Do you really think the Wilpons will overspend on a backup when they won’t even spend on starters we need? Never. They’ll bring back Reyes first.
Just because I said insurance, doesn’t mean backup. Of course if the Mets sign Lemahieu, he is undoubtedly the starter. It was meant as if they don’t believe in McNeil’s ability to be an everyday player then sign Lemahieu. In all honesty, I would love to see Brodie Van Wagenen sign Lemahieu for 2nd base, Moustakas for 3rd base, Wilson Ramos for Catcher, Ottavino for setup & either Britton or David Robertson for Closer. Shoot if the Mets want to be very ambitious, take advantage of Peter Alonso’s continuous hype and package him along with Steven Matz & a couple of decent prospects for Nolan Arenado.
Seems like the QO has finally reached a point where it’s working as intended. The one year contract is simply too large to assume the player won’t take it in the light of last year’s free agency results. The QO is really supposed to be attached to the games best players rather than to players that any team could afford to sign if they really wanted.
True. At first, teams were slapping it on any old FA they lost to try to snag extra picks, assuming players would reject it regardless of the $$ because they hate, hate, hate 1-year deals. And the players proved them correct (and got screwed because all the other owners docked their offers for the pick loss – hence the modifications later). Now the $$ is high enough & the market is so pay-deflated, most guys aren’t sure they can beat the number even with a multiyear deal – if they can even get one (good luck you “ancient” 30 y/o’s”)! Hence, there are now takers, and thus less offers. So it’s functioning like the “superstar compensation system” is was supposed to be.
How bad will Rockies be in 2019, lost Ottavino, DJ Lemahieu,gonzalez,parra and 5 more . A lot a holes for management to say they don’t have a lot of money to spend. Are they saving money to offer Arenado in long term deal, I think her will fill for free agent next year and look for best deal from contenders.