Notable Bay Area Qualifying Offer Decisions
- rossmelen91
- Nov 2, 2020
- 4 min read
What is a qualifying offer?
Clubs wishing to receive compensatory Draft picks for the loss of a free agent can make a one-year "qualifying offer," worth the mean salary of MLB's 125 highest-paid players, to their impending free agents prior to the onset of free agency if and only if:
1. That player has never received a qualifying offer previously in his career. 2. That player spent the entire season on that team's roster (in-season acquisitions are ineligible).
A player will have 10 days to accept or decline the qualifying offer, during which time he can negotiate with other teams to survey his market value. Should a player decide to accept the qualifying offer, he is signed for the following year at that predetermined rate (i.e., the mean salary of the league's 125 highest-paid players). If a player rejects the qualifying offer, he is free to further explore the free-agent market.*
Oakland Athletics
Marcus Semien
Why the A's should've extended an offer?
If Semien received the qualifying offer and accepted it, he would be owed $18.9 million during the 2021 season. If he were to have received the offer, declined it, and signed elsewhere it would have been an opportunity to get compensation for him leaving the organization. Semien has become one of the most consistent fielding shortstops in the league. He has also demonstrated home run power most shortstops do not exhibit. Winning organizations have consistency up the middle, and it's no surprise why the A's have been good the past few seasons. If Semien were to have received and signed the one year offer, he'd be the third highest paid shortstop behind Bogaerts and Lindor in 2021.
Why the A's were smart not extend an offer?
The A's have every intention of bringing Semien back on a multi-year deal. However, due to COVID-19 we could see a deflation in MLB contracts. Unfortunately for Semien, he is coming off a mediocre regular season by his standards. There is a belief by many that Semien has hit his peak now that he is on the plus side of 30 years of age. Due to these factors, there was a chance he may have actually accepted this qualifying offer for $18.9 million to rebuild his stock for the 2022 free agency period. Thus, the team may negotiate a team friendly deal extending over multiple seasons. The benefit for the A's extending Semien on a multi-year deal is that Khris Davis' contract will be coming off the books after the 2021 season. Luckily for the team, there are other shortstop options if Semien were to sign elsewhere. Names like Gregorius and Simmons could be options at a cheaper rate, but it'll be hard to let go of a hometown hero.
Liam Hendriks
Why the A's should've extended an offer?
The numbers speak for themselves. He's been the best closer in all of baseball the past two seasons with an ERA under 1.85. This A's team should be in contention for the postseason the next few seasons, and having a great closer brings you one step closer to accomplishing their goal of winning a World Series. Plus, if he signed elsewhere after receiving the qualifying offer it would've been an opportunity to get something back for him leaving.
Why the A's were smart not extend an offer?
The free agent market is being turned upside down by the impacts of COVID-19. The A's are not a team that spends big on it's players, and paying a closer $18.9 million fits that narrative. If he were to have been offered, and accepted a qualifying offer, he would be the second highest paid closer in the MLB for 2021. Is it deserved? Yes, but it comes down to what the market dictates for closers this offseason. Case and point, Brad Hand of the Indians had his $10 million option declined. The A's are betting on a down market combined with the opportunity to offer multi-year deals for both Semien and Hendriks. If one or both decide to leave there will be other options at a lower prices. However, be careful what you ask for, because there's no guarantee the replacement will be able to replicate what these two have done for the organization.
San Francisco Giants
Kevin Gausman
Why the Giants extended a qualifying offer?
Gausman was far and away the Giants best starting pitcher this season. Had the Giants won their final game of the regular season, Gausman probably would have been named as the Game 1 starter in the Wild Card series. He has had a long and winding career spent with 3+ organizations, but seemed to find his stuff in San Francisco. This season he finished with a 3.62 ERA and Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) rating of 3.09. Both of which are really good. More than anything, he displayed a high 90's fastball with a good curveball and changeup. Factor in his age (30 before next season), and it's a sign the Giants won't be afraid to spend money to help this club win. In the end, if he accepts the offer, the Giants are only on the hook for one season if he doesn't live up to the $18.9 million hype. If he declines and signs elsewhere, the Giants would receive a competitive draft pick in the future.
Why the Giants shouldn't have extended a qualifying offer?
Only 6 players received qualifying offers this offseason. The other players to receive offers include: Trevor Bauer, DJ LeMahieu, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer, and Marcus Stroman. Gausman does not have the same track record of success as these players, but he does have youth on his side. He has expressed his desire to continue playing in SF, and there's a good chance the two sides come together for a multi-year deal. Having said that, $18.9 million in a time like these is a significant amount of money to turn down. If he accepts the offer it'll be a risky move for the organization as his impressive numbers came during an abbreviated season.
Notable Articles to read:
*http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/qualifying-offer
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