Major League Baseball has officially set the qualifying offer price at $22.025MM, according to an Associated Press report. Joel Sherman of The New York Post had reported last month that the QO would be around $22MM, and it indeed lands just above that mark.
The qualifying offer is calculated as the average salary for the league’s 125 highest-paid players. It tends to rise year over year as salaries on the top of the market generally inflate. Last year’s QO price was set at $21.05MM, so this represents a $975K bump. The previous years’ QO figures were as follows:
Teams have until five days after the conclusion of the World Series to decide whether to issue the qualifying offer to any of their impending free agents. Players who are issued the QO have 15 days to decide whether to accept the one-year deal or decline in search of a better (usually multi-year) contract. They are free to speak with all 30 teams during that 15-day period to get an early read on their market.
Not all free agents are eligible to receive a qualifying offer. A player cannot be tagged with a QO more than once in his career. Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Cody Bellinger are among this year’s free agents who have previously been issued the qualifying offer and thus cannot be tagged again. A team can only issue a QO to a player who spent the entire preceding season on their roster. Trade deadline acquisitions Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly are all ineligible, as is August waiver claim Ha-Seong Kim (if he opts out of his deal with the Braves).
The qualifying offer entitles the former team to draft compensation if a player declines and signs elsewhere. Luxury tax paying clubs receive a draft choice after the fourth round. Revenue sharing recipients would get a pick at the end of the first round if the player signs for a guarantee of at least $50MM; the extra draft choice would otherwise fall between Competitive Balance Round B and the beginning of the third round (roughly 75th overall). Teams that neither pay the luxury tax nor receive revenue sharing get a pick after Competitive Balance Round B regardless of the contract value.
Signing a qualified free agent from another team comes with draft and/or international bonus pool penalties. Luxury tax payors lose their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2026 draft, plus $1MM from their ’27 bonus pool for international amateurs. Revenue sharing recipients lose their third-highest 2026 draft choice. Teams that neither paid the luxury tax nor receive revenue sharing forfeit their second-highest draft pick and $500K from their ’27 international pool. If a team signs multiple qualified free agents within the same offseason, they’d lose another draft pick and take a second matching hit to their international pool.
Last offseason, teams issued qualifying offers to 13 players, one of whom accepted. This winter will certainly see each of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez receive and reject one. Brandon Woodruff, Michael King, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen and Trent Grisham are each likely to decline a QO as well.
The Cubs would probably make one to Shota Imanaga even if they don’t exercise their three-year, $57MM option on his services. Jack Flaherty would be a borderline QO candidate if he declines his $20MM player option, while Lucas Giolito, Gleyber Torres and Devin Williams are long shot possibilities. There are usually one or two surprise QO decisions each winter, with Nick Martinez and Nick Pivetta each being unexpected recipients a year ago.
Hence then, the article about qualifying offer price set at 22 025mm was published today ( ) and is available on MLBtraderumors ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Qualifying Offer Price Set At $22.025MM )
Also on site :
- 39,000 sub-commercial registrations, costing SR21 million, cancelled since April
- Nicki Minaj at risk of losing $20M Los Angeles home over assault debt battle
- MARPAI RECOGNIZED AS 2025 TOP THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR