In 2013, all 13 free agents who were presented with the then-$14.1 million qualifying offer declined it. This year, the offer has increased to $15.3 million and it is believed some players might be inclined to accept it this time around. Who will they be?
We've provided a list of notable players who have been presented with the one-year offer from their current ball club. The deadline for teams to make the offer was Monday at 5 p.m. and now the players have until November 10 to accept the one-year deal or become a free agent. For those of you who don't know what the qualifying offer is, here's a quick explanation:
The qualifying offer is a one-year deal that teams can offer to their impending free agents who spent the entire previous season with that organization. For example, if a player was acquired via a trade in the middle of the season, they are not eligible. The $15.3 million salary is the average of the top 125 annual salaries in the MLB from the prior season. Teams have until five days after the World Series ends to present the offer, and players have one week to accept. If they decline, they will become a free agent, and the next team that signs him will have to surrender a draft pick to his former team.
Nelson Cruz, OF, Baltimore Orioles: He'll decline as well. The MLB's home run leader in 2014 was under contract for one-year and $8 million this past season. There is no way he accepts the qualifying offer after declining it last year. Now, according to league sources, Cruz wants a four-year lucrative deal, and it's unknown of the Orioles will be able to afford his demands.
Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies: Cuddyer has a good chance to accept. He'll be 36 next season and this one-year offer is likely the most money he'll be presented with this offseason. There is definitely demand for his services, being that he was the NL batting champ just one year ago, but his age and health are two big issues that other teams would rather not take a risk on with an expensive multi-year contract.
Francisco Liriano, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates: I think Liriano may accept the offer as well. The 31-year-old left-hander has had two solid seasons with Pittsburgh in his best campaigns since 2010. Liriano will have some suitors if he declines, but it's likely going to be nowhere near the $15.3 million the Pirates are willing to pay him for 2015, especially since teams will have to give up a draft pick for a pitcher who has been fairly inconsistent throughout his career. We saw it happen last year with Ervin Santana.
Russell Martin, C, Pittsburgh Pirates: Martin, unless he absolutely loves Pittsburgh, will probably decline. The 31-year-old is one of the best catchers in the league and had a resurgent year in 2014, batting .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. The Dodgers are in need of an upgrade at catcher and Martin played most of his career in LA from 2006-2010, so it's a possibility he accepts a multi-year deal with them, or at least another team.
Victor Martinez, 1B/DH, Detroit Tigers: No doubt Martinez declines. A number of American League teams will give him a lucrative contract to be their DH and play first base part-time, and not to mention, his current team is probably willing to do that as well. Despite turning 36 in the offseason, Martinez slashed .335/.409/.565 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs in perhaps his best season in the big leagues.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers: He will decline, but he's not going to get the long-term contract he wants. The Dodgers tabled contract talks with Ramirez late this season because he was reportedly asking for a $130 million deal, and at 31 years old with a myriad of health issues, very few teams, if any, will give him that money. But he'll certainly land a multi-year deal that will help him pay the bills.
David Roberston, RP, New York Yankees: Robertson is definitely one of the top closers in the league, but the Yankees have Dellin Betances behind him (who can easily take over the job) and other teams aren't going to want to surrender their first round pick for an expensive relief pitcher. If he declines the offer, he'll likely get lesser multi-year deals from a number of teams, including the Yankees, but it's probably in his best interest to accept the hefty one-year salary, play his tail off again, and be in the market next year for a decent deal. Both sides win here.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, San Francisco Giants: He already declined. He was a significant contributor in all three of their World Series championships and now he's expected to command a $100 million contract. San Fran likely does all it can to retain him.
Ervin Santana, SP, Atlanta Braves: Will he make the same mistake two years in a row? Doubtful. He declined the Royals' offer last year in hopes of receiving a five-year, $100 million contract, but instead signed with the Braves for the equivalent of the 2013 qualifying offer. He had a solid year with Atlanta (14-10 with a 3.95 ERA), but again showed he was erratic at times, and it's unlikely teams will give him the large amount of money he wants.
Max Scherzer, SP, Detroit Tigers: He will not accept. Why? Because he didn't accept a six-year, $144 million extension from the Tigers last offseason. He thought he could make more money, and after his 2014 campaign, his gamble paid off. In the past two seasons, Scherzer is 39-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 65 starts, which will get him a bigger contract than the Tigers initially offered before the 2014 season.
James Shields, SP, Kansas City Royals: Shields, the final player on this list that received the qualifying offer, will not be accepting the Royals' offer. Aside from Jon Lester and Scherzer, Shields is considered the top free-agent pitcher and he's expected to get a $100 million contract from a big market team. The Royals are even ready to prepare a multi-year deal for the 32-year-old. Shields has pitched over 200 innings in each season since 2007 and he's never injured, so even though his numbers aren't among the elite pitchers in the MLB, the money for his services will definitely be worth it for teams in need of a reliable starter.