“Ryu Hyun-jin can’t get it” 1-year, 275 billion won QO, rather good… Aiming for the big time without FA shackles

This winter’s Major League Baseball qualifying offer (QO) 스포츠토토 is set to be $20.5 million. For the first time ever, it will exceed $20 million, and Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) will not receive a QO. It’s a lucrative deal for a free agent.

The New York Post reported on Nov. 21 that the qualifying offer for the 2023-2024 offseason will increase to $20.5 million. The exact amount will be finalized by Major League Baseball and the players’ union within 10 days of the end of the regular season.

Introduced in 2012, qualifying offers are one-year contracts offered by an organization to a player who is eligible for free agency. The salary is the average of the 125 highest-paid players in the league and is likely to be $20.5 million this winter. This is the highest amount ever, surpassing last winter’s $19.65 million.

So far, qualifying offers have ranged from $13.3 million to $14.4 million, $15.3 million, $15.8 million, $17.2 million, $17.4 million, $17.9 million, $17.8 million, $18.9 million, $18.4 million, and $19.5 million in all but two years.

So far, 13 of the 124 players who have received qualifying offers have accepted them. After last season, outfielder Jacob Pederson (San Francisco Giants) and pitcher Martin Perez (Texas Rangers) opted to remain with their teams for one year and $19.65 million instead of exercising their free agency rights.

Qualifying offers are usually made by teams to free agents who are unlikely to accept them. If a team signs a free agent who receives a qualifying offer, the team must compensate the original team with a draft pick. Draft picks are divided into either the immediate first round or the competitive balance B round, depending on the size of the contract (around $50 million), revenue sharing and luxury tax status of the team losing the free agent.

Using this winter’s free agents as an example, the New York Post reports that “Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), Blake Snell (San Diego Padres), Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs) and Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) are expected to receive qualifying offers. Sonny Gray (Minnesota Twins) and Matt Chapman (Toronto) are also likely candidates. Josh Hader (San Diego) could also receive one.

‘Free agents who change teams during the season, such as Jordan Montgomery (Texas) and Lucas Giolito (Cleveland Cavaliers), are not eligible for qualifying offers. Players who have previously received qualifying offers, such as Eduardo Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers), Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto), and Marcus Stroman (Chicago Cubs), cannot receive them again.

Ryu accepted a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer after the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He delayed free agency for a year, but with a large guaranteed salary, he hit the free agent market after his best season, leading the National League in ERA and winning the Cy Young Award that year. He then signed a four-year, $80 million deal with Toronto. It was a win-win for the Dodgers, who got to keep Ryu for another year, and for Ryu, who was able to hit free agency.

Qualifying offers are a shackle on free agents. There was once talk of abolishing it, but it’s here to stay. This doesn’t apply to Ryu, who has already used one qualifying offer. His value is higher because he’s a free agent with no compensation.

Meanwhile, teams have five days after the World Series ends to make qualifying offers to free agents on their roster. Players have one week to accept or reject the offers.