(New York) Pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is one of seven Major League Baseball players who received a one-year, US$20.325 million qualifying offer Monday as the free agent market opened for 168 players.
In all likelihood, these seven players are expected to decline offers by the November 14 deadline in order to accept multi-year contracts on the market.
In addition to Ohtani, who the Los Angeles Angels are trying to retain, outfielder Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), pitchers Josh Hader, Blake Snell (San Diego Padres), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) and Sonny Gray (Minnesota Twins) and third baseman Matt Chapman (Toronto Blue Jays) also received qualifying offers.
By submitting a qualifying offer, the value of which is equivalent to the average of the 125 most lucrative current contracts ranked by annual value, a team ensures that it receives one or two additional draft selections if the player joins another club.
A sign that the market is weak this year, there are half as many qualifying offers as last year. The opportunity to offer qualifying offers began in 2012, and 10 of 124 offers were accepted.
Ohtani is expected to headline the free agent market, which will also include starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery as well as Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Of the 169 players who became free agents, Colin Rea of the Milwaukee Brewers is the only one who signed a new deal during the five-day exclusive negotiation period between a player and his former team. He signed a one-year, 4.5 million contract.
In the final day to exercise an option, the Atlanta Braves did so for right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, as did the Detroit Tigers with first baseman Mark Canha and the Blue Jays with pitcher Chad Green.
