Major League Baseball’s deadline for players to accept or reject the qualifying offer passed on Tuesday afternoon with more of a whimper than a bang. Of the 13 players to receive the one-year offer worth $21.05 million, just one accepted: Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez. Martinez, in turn, is the 14th player to take the QO since it was implemented in 2012.
The QO’s compensation is based on the average of the league’s top 125 salaries. Players who reject the tender will remain free agents, albeit now with draft-pick compensation attached to their services.
Before we explain that component, here is a list of the 12 individuals to decline their respective teams’ offers:
As for the draft-pick compensation angle, it’s based on the revenue-sharing statuses of both the signing team and the former team. Here’s the pertinent information presented in a pair of handy dandy tables.
Former team Contract size Compensation Received revenue sharing Less than $50 million Pick after competitive balance round B (before third round) Received revenue sharing $50 million or more Pick after first round Paid competitive balance tax N/A Pick after fourth round All other teams N/A Pick after competitive balance round B (before third round)
And the other:
Signing team 2025 draft picks forfeited 2026 international bonus money forfeited Paid CBT Second and fifth highest $1 million Received revenue sharing Third highest none All other teams Second highest $500,000
The QO can be extended to a player just once in their careers. It also cannot be given to players who changed teams midseason. That meant the likes of Blake Snell, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jack Flaherty were ineligible to receive it.