The Los Angeles Dodgers extended qualified offers to free agents Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, but not Clayton Kershaw.
Seager and Taylor were two of 14 players who received $ 18.4 million, one-year qualifying offers before the Sunday night deadline. If players decline those offers and sign with another team, their former club is entitled to a draft pick as compensation.
Kershaw has spent his 14-year professional career with Los Angeles, winning three Cy Young Awards and the 2020 World Series. He was 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA in his 22 regular-season starts, but missed the postseason for a left forearm injury that is not expected to require surgery.
Atlanta slugger Freddie Freeman received a qualified offer from World Series champions, while American League champions the Houston Astros extended offers to shortstop Carlos Correa and right-hander Justin Verlander. The latter missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but the 38-year-old is hoping to return next season.
On Saturday, the New York Mets announced that outfielder Michael Conforto and right-hander Noah Sundergaard received qualified offers. The Toronto Blue Jays were the only other team with multiple offers, left-hander Robbie Ray and infielder Marcus Semien.
Semien is a free agent for the second year in a row, but did not receive a qualifying offer from Oakland last year before signing a one-year, $ 18 million deal with Toronto. Players can only receive qualified offers once in their career, under the collective agreement, which expires at the end of the month.
Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez, Cincinnati outfielder Nick Castellanos, Colorado shortstop Trevor Story, Los Angeles Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias and San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt complete the list. of players who received qualifying offers.
Stellar free agents who did not receive such offers include: Colorado right-hander Jon Gray, Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon, and Giants pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood.
Players have until November 17 to decide whether to accept the offers. Only 10 out of 96 players who have received the offers have accepted them since the system was implemented in 2012. (AFP)