Today was the deadline for teams to extend a Qualifying Offer (QO) to players set to become a free agent ahead of free agency opening and as expected, the Mariners have extended a QO to Randy Arozarena.
The QO is a one-year deal that allows teams to bid for a year of a player’s services should they not sign a longer-term deal, but the real benefit of it for teams is it entitles them to a draft pick if and when the player signs somewhere else. Only players who haven’t received a QO before are eligible,
and players have to have been with the offering teams for a full season – so players who got traded midseason aren’t eligible. The draft pick position varies based on a team’s financials (revenue-sharing, luxury tax, etc.) and how much the player signs for, but is either after Competitive Balance Round A or B, or after the fourth round for luxury tax payors. The team that signs the free agent forfeits a draft pick, the position of which is again based on a team’s financials.
This year the QO was $23.5M, which is based off the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players in MLB. Eight players received the QO today: Arozarena, postseason hero Jake Bauers (Brewers), David Bednar (Yankees), Ryan Jeffers (Twins), Brandon Lowe (Pirates), Adrián Morejón (Padres), Trevor Rogers (Orioles) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs). It’s rare for a player to accept the QO, although the upcoming uncertainty with the looming lockout might impact players’ decision-making. This is a small group of QOs, relative to other years; 13 players received a QO last year.
That uncertainty likely won’t affect Arozarena, who should have plenty of suitors for the 31-year-old’s services after coming off a career-best season. Arozarena brought a power-speed combo this year, thumping 26 homers and stealing as many bases, but he also cut his strikeouts to a career-low (while still walking an above-average amount) with a balanced offensive approach that saw him use the whole field. Arozarena talked several times this year about adjusting his approach to focus more on hitting the ball all over and less on trying to pull everything for a home run; the result was his best offensive season in a full season as a pro. Arozarena also benefits from being arguably the best bat on the market in a class that’s heavier on pitching.
This is the first year the Mariners have extended a QO to a player in over a decade; the last time was Hisashi Iwakuma in 2015, when the QO was valued at $15.8M. Iwakuma initially rejected the QO and was reportedly going to sign with the Dodgers, but the deal fell through and Iwakuma returned to the Mariners on a one-year deal with two option years. If/when Arozarena signs elsewhere, that will be the first time the Mariners receive draft pick compensation for losing a free agent. The Mariners do not pay the luxury tax and are a revenue-sharing recipient, so the pick would be either in Competitive Balance Round A (after the first round) or B (after the second round).
Players have until 1 PM PT on November 17 to accept or decline the QO, during which time they’re free to negotiate with other teams to get a sense of their market value.
