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MLB: The 2017 Qualifying Offer: Take The $17 Million And Run?

By Steve Contursi

Jul 19, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball on the field prior to a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 19, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball on the field prior to a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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MLB teams will have five days following the conclusion of the World Series to make Qualifying Offers to players who are entitled. This year, the dollar amount of each offer will be between $17 and 17.5 million. Would you turn down an offer like this to take a gamble on free agency?

As part of the research for this article, I contacted my local bank to satisfy my curiosity about just what a $17 million investment would yield over 12 months. Needless to say, I did a double take when I saw the results and a new question arose. Do you think you could live on  $2,387,054.30 for a year- without  touching the principle? Because that’s what you would earn as disposable cash using what is called a CD Ladder if you accept the Qualifying Offer, and that’s guaranteed. (FYI – each year the dollar amount of the Qualifying Offer is determined by the average salary of the top 125 salary earners the previous year)

So it remains to be seen how this market shakes out this year. But a interesting little twist in the MLB rules that adds intrigue to the process for teams as well as players. And that is because there are a number of ways that teams signing a player who has refused a Qualifying Offer risk losing a draft pick to the team that he left. I know, it gets complicated.

And when you consider that these major life decisions must be made in a span of only 12 days, the anxiety on both sides is bound to be severe.

More from Call to the Pen

Last Season Set What Could Become A Trend

Last offseason saw a record 20 players receive qualifying offers, and for the first time, some of them (Colby Rasmus, Brett Anderson, Matt Wieters) accepted the one-year contracts rather than hit free agency. Anderson and were hoping to have healthier seasons in 2016 that would lead to richer multi-year deals this offseason, while Rasmus simply seemed to want to stay in Houston because he so enjoyed the environment, particularly in the wake of some clubhouse issues with other teams in his career. (MLB Trade Rumors)

Players Most Likely To Gamble

The most obvious choice has to be Yeonis Cespedes who has the New York Mets tied up in knots.

With a glaring need of a right handed power bat in their lineup, the Mets will surely extend a Qualifying Offer to Cespedes, which he will politely but decidedly refuse. And from there, talks are expected to begin at $100 million over four years making the $17 million chump change.

Others who might also be candidates to refuse the offer would be Edwin Encarcion, who is currently on display with Toronto in the ALCS, and Mark Trumbo, who had the year of his life smashing 47 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles.

Take The Money And Run

A player like Mike Napoli could easily see the light and take the money on the table. At the age of 37, he might be better off counting his blessings and taking one more good payday – IF the Indians decide to go that way. He’s built himself a cult following of sorts in Cleveland, but these are the hard business decisions that teams often must make in deciding if Napoli has another 34 home runs left in him next season.

Doug Fister is another player who will be weighing the what have you done for me lately (not much) tag on him against the very light free agent pitching market this year. And $17 million (if he receives an offer from the Houston Astros – and that’s questionable) should be ready to sign on the dotted line immediately. But, you never know, especially when these guys have their agents barking in their ear and telling them they are the second coming of Christy Mathewson.

Obviously, all of these players live in a different world than most of us do when it comes to a yearly salary. But still, assuming they like the team they are with, $17 million can go a long way to securing their future and their families as well.

Next: Astros offseason to do list

This is definitely a good way to start the off season and it’ll be a storyline to follow in just a few weeks. But first, we have some baseball left to play……..

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