SEATTLE -- In a somewhat surprising development, Teoscar Hernández did not receive a qualifying offer from the Mariners ahead of Monday¡¯s 2 p.m. PT deadline for clubs to extend the one-year, $20.325 million deal for 2024.

That makes Hern¨¢ndez a free agent and leaves the Mariners with a hole in right field and in the middle of their lineup.

Hern¨¢ndez had appeared to be a likely candidate to receive a qualifying offer (QO) -- the one-year pact worth the mean salary of MLB's 125 highest-paid players from the year prior -- based on the short-term commitment and the Mariners¡¯ notable needs for offense this winter. And had he declined it, Seattle would¡¯ve received Draft pick compensation, a commodity its front office values greatly.

• Here's who has gotten a qualifying offer

The Draft pick element makes Monday¡¯s development something of a surprise, given that Hern¨¢ndez would be more likely to decline and pursue a more lucrative, long-term deal on a bleak free-agent market for hitters, where he¡¯ll be among the best available sluggers.

Yet, there certainly would¡¯ve been risk in committing such a high price to a player who has been prone to significant peaks and valleys -- perhaps at a rate well above market value. The QO would¡¯ve made Hern¨¢ndez Seattle¡¯s third-highest paid player for 2024, behind Luis Castillo ($24.15 million) and Robbie Ray ($23 million).

The 31-year-old earned $14 million last year in his final season of arbitration eligibility, and this represents his first foray into free agency.

¡°It¡¯s something new. I don¡¯t know what to expect,¡± Hern¨¢ndez said of free agency last month. ¡°But I¡¯m going to try and enjoy it. ¡­ Now that I¡¯m a free agent, I¡¯m trying to go somewhere where I feel comfortable and where my family feels comfortable. I¡¯m the player, but this is not only about me. I have to think about my family, my kids.¡±

By not extending the QO to Hern¨¢ndez, the Mariners are now positioned to allocate that money towards the rest of their offseason budget, and it is possible that the club explores a longer-term deal at an average annual value lower than the QO. It¡¯s also possible that the Mariners will instead seek a more consistent bat to help alleviate their strikeout challenges from last season.

Hern¨¢ndez¡¯s first season in Seattle was productive but not at the caliber he experienced during parts of six seasons in Toronto.

His .741 OPS and 106 OPS+ (league average is 100) were among the lowest of his career for any of his full seasons played, including the COVID-impacted 2020, and his 31.1% strikeout rate was highest on the team and fifth-highest in MLB among 133 qualified hitters. Moreover, his home and road splits were stark, with a slash line of .217/.263/.380 (.643 OPS) at T-Mobile Park and .295/.344/.486 (.830 OPS) in away games.

Seven players received the QO on Monday -- the Cubs¡¯ Cody Bellinger, the Angels¡¯ Shohei Ohtani, the Twins¡¯ Sonny Gray, the Phillies¡¯ Aaron Nola, the Padres¡¯ Blake Snell and Josh Hader and the Blue Jays¡¯ Matt Chapman -- and they have until 1 p.m. PT on Nov. 14 to accept.

Their decisions could also impact the Mariners¡¯ offseason, given that Ohtani, Bellinger, Chapman and, to a lesser extent, Snell, could all be among the club¡¯s free-agent targets. Any team that signs a player who has rejected a qualifying offer is subject to a loss of one or more Draft picks. In the Mariners¡¯ case, because they are a team that receives revenue sharing, if they signed one of those players, they¡¯d forfeit their third-highest selection in next year¡¯s Draft, and if they signed two, they¡¯d also forfeit their fourth-highest remaining pick.

There are obvious downsides to signing such players, but it shouldn¡¯t preclude the Mariners from doing so for the right fit -- Ray being the most recent example ahead of signing a five-year, $115 million deal in 2021 after turning down a QO from Toronto.