Just Eight Players Receive $23.15M Qualifying Offers in Weak Free-Agent Class

Major League Baseball teams handed out just eight qualifying offers by Monday's deadline, underlining how weak this winter's free-agent class is considered to be. The one-year, $23.15 million offers went to Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, New York Yankees closer David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe, Baltimore Orioles starter Trevor Rogers, San Diego Padres left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers. It is the second-fewest qualifying offers in a full season since the system was introduced in 2012, and a clear sign of how few elite players reached the market this year. The biggest star not eligible was Tarik Skubal, who could not receive an offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers after being acquired at the trade deadline from Detroit. Players who received offers have until November 17 to accept or reject them; those who reject and sign elsewhere will cost their new team draft-pick compensation. Just 18 of 157 players have ever accepted a qualifying offer since the system began.