Discussion around the qualifying offer is officially a go. According to Spotrac, the value will be set at $22.025 million, a 4.6% increase from last season. As the Atlanta Braves get ready to take on the free-agent market, how these offers play out will have to stay on their radar.
Let’s get two important notes out of the way. Marcell Ozuna does not qualify for a qualifying offer. Raisel Iglesias doesn’t either. Ozuna declined the St. Louis Cardinals’ qualifying offer following the 2019 season, ultimately signing with the Braves.
Iglesias rejected a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Angels following the 2021 season. He re-signed with the Angels but was traded to the Braves during the 2022 season.
Since you can only receive a qualifying offer once, both do not, well, qualify. Outside of them, there isn’t a player where this type of contract is relevant. No one else is up for one.
Where the qualifying offer could get tricky is when it comes to who they want to sign. According to Spotrac, a team that signs a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer is required to forfeit an upcoming draft pick. The team’s highest first-round pick is excluded from this.
There is another layel to this as well. If the signing team was over the luxury tax threshold in the previous season, the team must forfeit their second and fifth highest draft picks, plus $1 million of International Bonus Pool. If the team signs free agent who rejected a qualifying offer, they will then forfeit their third & sixth highest draft picks as well).
This could put a damper on the Braves ability to build for their longterm future for upcoming year. If they make a move, it’ll have to worth their while.
Some potential offseason targets at key positions in need of an upgrade could be subject to the qualifying offer. Here are some of the notable names listed by Spotrac:
Notable Candidates
– Kyle Tucker (outfielder)
– Bo Bichette (shortstop)
– Framber Valdez (starting pitcher)
– Kyle Schwarber (designated hitter)
– Ranger Suarez (starting pitcher)
– Dylan Cease (starting pitcher)
Cease and Bichette have notably come up in previous offseason speculation. Schwarber could be a target if they’re willing to splash for a big bat at designated hitter. If the hurdle known as Scott Boras wasn’t already there for some of these pending free agents, a qualifying offer would be the straw that makes the hurdle a tall brick wall.
Other options are out there who won’t have a qualifying offer attached to them, but it’s going to put some limits on their options. Yes, they have signed players who rejected a qualifying offer before, but the circumstances were different. When they initially signed Ozuna, they only had to lose forfeit their third-highest selection (No. 99) and $500,000 of international slot money.
The goal for the Braves will remain to make upgrades for next season. However, it’s yet to be determined if certain options are realistic.
