Baseball Free Agents Receive Qualifying Offers

Sunday was the deadline for teams to tender offers to their own eligible free agents. The qualifying offer is a one-year contract that equals the average of the top 125 salaries in baseball, which this year is $18.4 million.

The following 14 players received qualifying offers, and they have ten days to either accept the offer or reject it.

Nick Castellanos – Pitcher, Reds

Raisel Iglesias – Pitcher, Angels

Robbie Ray – Pitcher, Blue Jays

Eduardo Rodriguez – Pitcher, Red Sox

Noah Syndergaard – Pitcher, Mets

Justin Verlander – Pitcher, Astros

Brandon Belt – 1st Base, Giants

Freddie Freeman – 1st Base, Braves

Marcus Semien – Second Base, Blue Jays

Chris Taylor – Utility, Dodgers

Carlos Correa – Shortstop, Astros

Corey Seager – Shortstop, Dodgers

Trevor Story – Shortstop, Rockies

Michael Conforto – Outfield, Mets

No real surprises in who received offers, but a number of the offers are simply so the original team can receive compensation draft picks, should the player sign elsewhere. Players like Story, Ray and Freeman will obviously reject the offer and sign much bigger contracts in free agency.

One surprise, however, is who didn’t get a qualifying offer. The Dodgers did make offers to Seager and Taylor, but they did not make an offer to Clayton Kershaw. So could the three-time Cy Young winner be on his way out of Los Angeles?

He can still sign with the Dodgers, so it doesn’t mean he’s gone. But he can enter free agency and negotiate across the league, if he chooses.

White Sox Bringing Craig Kimbrel Back

Trade-deadline pickup Craig Kimbrel didn’t have the greatest of seasons of in 2021, giving up runs in nine of his 24 appearances in the regular season. But when the White Sox traded for him in July they knew that his club option for 2022 fit into their financial picture, at $16 million.

Kimbrel is coming back, and will once again be a primary setup man for closer Liam Hendriks.

In another bit of White Sox pitcher staff news, they did not extend a qualifying offer to starting pitcher Carlos Rodon. The All-Star who also threw a no-hitter in 2021, ended the season with shoulder fatigue, and if the White Sox do bring him back for another year, they would like to do it for less than the $18.4 million tender.

The White Sox currently sit tied for fourth place on the MLB World Series odds board at +1200 with the world champion Atlanta Braves.

Gold Glove Winners Announced

Baseball awards season is here, and it began this weekend with the naming of each league’s Gold Glove winners.

National League

First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals

Second Base – Tommy Edman, Cardinals

Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Cardinals

Shortstop – Brandon Crawford, Giants

Left Field – Tyler O’Neill, Cardinals

Center Field – Harrison Bader, Cardinals

Right Field – Adam Duvall, Marlins/Braves

Catcher – Jacob Stallings, Pirates

Pitcher – Max Fried, Braves

Your eyes do not deceive you. The Cardinals as a team captured a record five Gold Gloves in the 2021 season. They are the fourth team in the last 45 years to have three infielders win Gold Gloves in the same season.

For Nolan Arenado it was his ninth win, putting him just one behind Mike Schmidt for most ever by a National League third baseman. And for Paul Goldschmidt, it was his fourth Gold Glove. Brandon Crawford also now has four.

Not for lack of defense are the Cardinals a middling team in 2022 World Series odds at +2500.

American League

First Base – Yuli Gurriel, Astros

Second Base – Marcus Semien, Blue Jays

Third Base – Matt Chapman, A’s

Shortstop – Carlos Correa, Astros

Left Field – Andrew Benintendi, Royals

Center Field – Michael Taylor, Royals

Right Field – Joey Gallo, Rangers/Yankees

Catcher – Sean Murphy, A’s

Pitcher – Dallas Keuchel, White Sox

Yuli Gurriel

Along with his American League batting title, Yuli Gurriel won his first ever Gold Glove. Marcus Semien was another star who had a huge season at the plate, setting the single-season record for home runs by a second baseman with 45. This is his first Gold Glove win.

Other first time winners in the American League are shortstop Carlos Correa, left fielder Andrew Benintendi, center fielder Michael Taylor, and catcher Sean Murphy.

Matt Chapman of the A’s won his third Gold Glove in five years. Joey Gallo, in right field for the Rangers and Yankees, won his second Gold Glove. Dallas Keuchel, who led all MLB pitchers with 12 defensive runs saved, has his fifth Gold Glove win.

The winners of the Platinum Glove, given to the top defensive player regardless of league, will be announced on Friday.