These 10 free agents got a qualifying offer
The deadline for teams to extend their eligible free agents a qualifying offer for 2020 -- a one-year deal worth $17.8 million -- came and went Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
Here's a rundown of the 10 free agents who received a qualifying offer, and the others who didn't.
Players who get a qualifying offer have 10 days to decide whether to accept it. If they do, they're signed with their team for the next season at the qualifying offer value. If they decline, they become a free agent, and if a new team signs them, their old team receives Draft pick compensation. Since the system was implemented in 2012, only six of the 80 players to receive a QO have accepted it, including one of the seven last year, the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu.
? Full breakdown of the qualifying offer rules and deadlines here
Not every free agent can receive the QO. Players who were traded during the season, and players who have previously received a QO, are ineligible. Those names:
Ineligible -- traded: Nicholas Castellanos (Cubs), Yasiel Puig (Indians), Travis d'Arnaud and Eric Sogard (Rays), Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark (A's), Corey Dickerson (Phillies), Francisco Cervelli (Braves), Mart¨ªn Maldonado (Astros)
Ineligible -- prior QO: Dallas Keuchel (Braves), Edwin Encarnaci¨®n (Yankees), Hyun-Jin Ryu and Russell Martin (Dodgers), Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas (Brewers), Howie Kendrick (Nationals), Matt Wieters (Cardinals), Alex Gordon (Royals), Brett Anderson (A's)
Here are the players who received a qualifying offer for 2020, listed by team, along with the Draft pick compensation that would be attached to them if they declined a QO to test the open market.
RECEIVED QUALIFYING OFFER
Astros: Gerrit Cole (SP)
Cole was dominant in the regular season, leading the American League with a 2.50 ERA and the Majors with 326 strikeouts, and he was dominant in the postseason, with a 1.72 ERA as the Astros fell just short of a World Series title. He's set to become the top free-agent pitcher this winter.
Draft pick compensation for HOU: After Competitive Balance Round B
Braves: Josh Donaldson (3B)
Coming off an injury-shortened 2018 season, Donaldson took a one-year deal with the Braves last winter and proceeded to return to his old star level, crushing 37 homers for the National League East champs. Now he's going back on the market.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
Cardinals: Marcell Ozuna (OF)
Ozuna is a dangerous hitter, with 29 home runs in 2019, although he's not a great defensive outfielder. His postseason showed the pros and cons of his free-agent case: Ozuna had a 1.335 OPS in the Cardinals' NL Division Series win over Atlanta, but several defensive gaffes in their NL Championship Series loss to Washington.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
Giants: Madison Bumgarner (LHP), Will Smith (LHP)
Bumgarner looked more like his old workhorse self in 2019, making 34 starts and pitching 207 2/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA and 203 strikeouts. Smith was one of the league's best closers, collecting 34 saves with a 2.76 ERA and 96 strikeouts in an All-Star year.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
Mets: Zack Wheeler (RHP)
Wheeler has electric stuff and he'll be one of the top free-agent starting pitchers available. He's only 29 years old and just set career highs in strikeouts (195) and innings pitched (195 1/3) in 2019, with a 3.96 ERA.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
Nationals: Anthony Rendon (3B), Stephen Strasburg (RHP)
Rendon is the best position player in free agency, and he just finished leading the Nats to their first World Series title with a superstar postseason. Speaking of superstar postseasons: Strasburg won the World Series MVP and was absolutely lights-out in October; he might have just pitched his way to a megadeal.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
Twins: Jake Odorizzi (RHP)
Odorizzi is a consistent arm in the rotation who just had his best season yet, going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 178 strikeouts for the AL Central champs, making his first career All-Star team and turning in a strong start against the Yankees in the postseason.
Draft pick compensation: Between 1st round and Competitive Balance Round A (if signed for $50+ million) or after Competitive Balance Round B (if signed for less)
White Sox: Jos¨¦ Abreu (1B)
Abreu has been a rock at first base for the White Sox ever since he came to the big leagues from Cuba in 2014. He was an All-Star for the third time in '19, hitting .284 with 33 home runs and an AL-leading 123 RBIs.
Draft pick compensation: After Competitive Balance Round B
DID NOT RECEIVE A QUALIFYING OFFER
There is also a pool of free agents who were eligible to receive qualifying offers, but did not receive them for various reasons. The list includes Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, who failed to match his prior production after returning from Tommy John surgery in 2019:
Astros: Will Harris (RHP), Wade Miley (LHP)
Blue Jays: Justin Smoak (1B)
Braves: Nick Markakis (OF), Julio Teheran (RHP) (club option)
Cubs: Cole Hamels (LHP), Ben Zobrist (2B)
Cardinals: Michael Wacha (RHP), Adam Wainwright (RHP)
Dodgers: Rich Hill (LHP)
Mets: Todd Frazier (3B)
Nationals: Brian Dozier (2B)
Pirates: Melky Cabrera (OF)
Rays: Avisa¨ªl Garc¨ªa (OF)
Red Sox: Rick Porcello (RHP)
Reds: Jos¨¦ Iglesias (SS), Alex Wood (LHP)
Twins: Kyle Gibson (RHP), Michael Pineda (RHP)
Yankees: Dellin Betances (RHP), Brett Gardner (OF), Didi Gregorius (SS)
White Sox: Ivan Nova (RHP)
Lastly, here's a breakdown of how the Draft pick compensation works for teams who lose players who rejected a qualifying offer, and the penalties for teams who sign those players.
Compensation for losing players who reject their qualifying offer
? The current Collective Bargaining Agreement rules state that if the team that loses the free agent is a revenue-sharing recipient, based on its revenues and market size, then the selection -- if and only if the lost player signs for at least $50 million -- will be awarded a pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A of the 2020 MLB Draft. If the player signs for less than $50 million, the compensation pick for those teams would come after Competitive Balance Round B, which follows the second round.
The following 14 teams currently qualify for these picks: the A's, Brewers, D-backs, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers and Twins.
? If the team that loses the player does not receive revenue sharing and did not exceed the luxury-tax salary threshold the previous season, its compensatory pick will come after Competitive Balance Round B. The value of the player's contract doesn't matter in this case.
The 13 teams in this category: the Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Rangers and White Sox.
? If the team that loses the player went over the luxury-tax threshold, the compensation pick will be placed after the fourth round has been completed (as with the previous scenario, it doesn't matter how much the player signs for).
Three clubs exceeded the threshold in 2019: the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.
Penalties for signing players who reject their qualifying offer
Any team that signs a player who has rejected a qualifying offer is subject to the loss of one or more Draft picks. However, a team's highest first-round pick is exempt from forfeiture, which is a big change that went into effect with the new CBA. Three tiers of Draft-pick forfeiture -- based on the financial status of the signing team -- are in place to serve as a penalty for signing a player who rejected a qualifying offer:
? A team that exceeded the luxury tax in the preceding season will lose its second- and fifth-highest selections in the following year's Draft, as well as $1 million from its international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. If such a team signs multiple qualifying-offer free agents, it will forfeit its third- and sixth-highest remaining picks as well.
Teams in this group this offseason: the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.
? A team that receives revenue-sharing money will lose its third-highest selection in the following year's Draft. If it signs two such players, it will also forfeit its fourth-highest remaining pick.
Teams in this group: A's, Brewers, D-backs, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers and Twins.
? A team that neither exceeded the luxury-tax threshold in the preceding season nor receives revenue sharing will lose its second-highest selection in the following year's Draft, as well as $500,000 from its international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. If it signs two such players, it will also forfeit its third-highest remaining pick and an additional $500,000.
Teams in this group: Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Rangers and White Sox.