Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani and slugger Cody Bellinger were among the players to receive qualifying offers from their current clubs on Monday, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, along with third baseman Matt Chapman and pitchers Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, Josh Hader and Sonny Gray.
Notable players who didn’t receive qualifying offers included Teoscar Hernandez, Jorge Soler, Rhys Hoskins and Mitch Garver.
As Passan noted, the offer is a $20.3 million deal for the 2024 season. If turned down, the team that made the offer would receive draft compensation by the team who signed their former player in free agency.
It is a mere formality that the deals will be turned down, given that the players in question can earn long-term, lucrative deals in free agency.
Only 7 players received qualifying offers: Ohtani,Snell,Nola, Hader, Bellinger, Chapman and Gray. None of them are expected to accept the offers rather enter free agency to sign longer term more lucrative contracts.
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) November 6, 2023
There are rumors suggesting that Ohtani could sign a deal worth over $500 million this winter, likely exceeding the MLB-record 12-year, $426.5 million deal Mike Trout signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019.
Ohtani might get such a deal even with the uncertainty of his future as a starting pitcher, as he underwent surgery in October to repair a torn UCL. He’s expected to be fine to perform as a hitter in 2024 and return to pitching in 2025, though the fact that he previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 will at least call into question his pitching future.
His status as a two-way star has made him the game’s most unique and impactful superstars since perhaps Babe Ruth, but as a hitter alone he’s incredibly valuable, with a .274 batting average and .922 OPS for his career and three straight seasons with 34 or more home runs. He’ll likely be named the AL MVP for the second time when the award is announced next week and he’s the global face of baseball, another feather in his cap from a value perspective.
In terms of position players, Bellinger will be the consolation prize for teams seeking a big bat who miss out on Ohtani. The 28-year-old hit .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBI, 95 runs, 20 stolen bases and a .881 OPS in a one-year stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, and he’s assuredly going to earn a far better deal than the one-year, $17.5 million deal he signed last winter.
After declining a $25 million mutual option, there’s zero chance he’ll take the qualifying offer.
Nola and Snell, both 30, highlight the pitchers to receive such offers. Nola had been one of the steadier aces in baseball before something of a down year in 2023, though he continued to be excellent in the postseason (5-3 with a 3.70 ERA and 1.15 WHIP for his career) for the Philadelphia Phillies, helping lead them to the NLCS, where they fell one win short of the World Series.
Snell, meanwhile, is the favorite to win his second Cy Young award after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 234 strikeouts this season.
Rhys Hoskins is perhaps the most interesting name on the list of players to not receive a qualifying offer. He was Philadelphia’s regular first baseman in recent seasons and has four seasons with 27 or more home runs, though he missed the entire 2023 campaign with a torn ACL.
As expected, the Phillies made Aaron Nola a qualifying offer. Rhys Hoskins, Craig Kimbrel and Michael Lorenzen did not get one. It does not close the door for Hoskins' return, but much depends on where Bryce Harper plays next year.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 6, 2023
Phillies are only giving the $20.325M qualifying offer to Aaron Nola. So no QO for Rhys Hoskins. There’s still a decent chance he could go back there though.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 6, 2023
The Phillies are best served with Kyle Schwarber at designated hitter and not in the outfield, meaning that if Bryce Harper remains at first base, Hoskins—a below-average fielder—has no natural position in Philadelphia. A return to right field for Harper could open up the possibility of a reunion between Hoskins and Philadelphia, however.
