Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann, Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon were among the 20 players to receive qualifying offers from their respective clubs by Friday's 5 p.m. ET deadline, signifying several of the top free agents of the offseason.
Jason Heyward, Zack Greinke among 20 MLB free agents to receive 2016 qualifying offer
These players have until Friday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET to accept or decline the one-year, $15.8 million contract offer.
A qualifying offer is a one-year, $15.8 million contract offer for 2016, an average of the top 125 salaries in MLB in 2015. The players will have one week, until Friday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET to accept or decline the offer.
Should the player decline the qualifying offer and then eventually sign elsewhere, his old team will receive a supplement 2016 draft pick in between the first and second rounds. The signing team forfeits its first-round pick, or if the team holds a protected top-10 pick then the signing team would instead forfeit its next-highest draft pick.
In the first three years of the qualifying offer system, 34 free agents were given the qualifying offer — nine in 2012, 13 in 2013 and 12 in 2014 — and all 34 declined the offer.
One caveat of the system is that a player has to have been on his old team for the entire season, so top-tier free agents who were traded midseason (like David Price, Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist for example) cannot be extended a qualifying offer.
MLB free agency 2016
MLB free agency 2016
Here are the 20 players to receive a qualifying offer this offseason:
- LHP Brett Anderson, Dodgers
- LHP Wei-Yin Chen, Orioles
- 1B Chris Davis, Orioles
- SS Ian Desmond, Nationals
- RHP Marco Estrada, Blue Jays
- OF Dexter Fowler, Cubs
- RHP Yovani Gallardo, Rangers
- OF Alex Gordon, Royals
- RHP Zack Greinke, Dodgers
- OF Jason Heyward, Cardinals
- RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners
- 2B Howie Kendrick, Dodgers
- RHP Ian Kennedy, Padres
- RHP John Lackey, Cardinals
- 2B Daniel Murphy, Mets
- OF Colby Rasmus, Astros
- RHP Jeff Samardzija, White Sox
- OF Justin Upton, Padres
- C Matt Wieters, Orioles
- RHP Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals
The Orioles and Dodgers lead the way with three qualifying offers each, with the Cardinals, Nationals and Padres at two each.
The five-day quiet period after the World Series ends on Friday night, with all free agents eligible to sign with new teams by 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday.
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