8 MLB Players Receive Qualifying Offers Ahead of Free Agency

Eight MLB players received qualifying offers ahead of the start of free agency on Monday night. Each player has a choice to accept a one-year, $23.15 million contract to remain with their current team for the 2027 season. Failure to accept the offer and signing with another team results in the original team receiving a compensatory draft pick.

Only 18 of 157 players have accepted qualifying offers since 2012, but four accepted last year. The following players were among those to receive a qualifying offer: Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners, Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers, David Bednar of the New York Yankees, Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, Brandon Lowe of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, Trevor Rogers of the Baltimore Orioles, and Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs.

Both outfielders, Arozarena and Suzuki, appear unlikely to take a qualifying offer in a weak free-agent hitting market. Jim Bowden from The Athletic predicted Arozarena's and Suzuki's contracts to be worth $124 million and $120 million, respectively. Part-time player Jake Bauers had a breakout season, hitting .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs in 2026.

The 31-year-old could sign a multi-year deal, potentially becoming the highest-paid player on the Brewers, after helping them win their first World Series. Brandon Lowe may test the open market for the first time in his career after hitting 35 home runs with a .824 OPS in 2026. If Lowe accepts, he would become the highest-paid player on the Pirates.

Ryan Jeffers, 29 years old, might be the top candidate to accept his qualifying offer. Despite never exceeding 465 plate appearances in a season, he has batted .254/.342/.440 over the last four years. Trevor Rogers had a dominant 2025 season, posting a 4.03 ERA. He threw a career-high 169.2 innings and had a 2.90 ERA over his final 20 starts.

Rogers is well-positioned to receive a substantial multi-year deal. David Bednar followed a strong 2025 season by agreeing to a three-year, $51 million deal with the New York Mets. He may prefer a contract similar to the Mets' offer. Adrian Morejon could land a similar deal after posting a 2.58 ERA over the last three seasons as San Diego's elite setup man.