3 players who would be better off accepting qualifying offers rather than testing the FA

Not only was Monday the deadline for players and teams to learn about options for players and clubs, but it was also the deadline for teams to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to free agents soon.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, 13 players received qualifying offers, which is essentially a one-year deal worth $21.05 million.

For most of the 13 players who received the offer, it’s nothing more than a formality. They will refuse the offer. The reason, for example, that the New York Yankees sent a qualifying offer to Juan Soto, a player who could earn more than $700 millionhe needed to make sure that if he left the organization as a free agent, they would get a draft pick back as compensation.

Most players who have received the qualifying offer will decline it, but a small group of those players have difficult decisions to make. These three players in particular could take it. In fact, it can be argued that he would be better off taking the offer than testing free agency.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray The Baseball Insiders Podcastsubscribe to Moonshotour weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop from now until the MLB offseason.

3) Luis Severino has more to prove before testing the free agency waters

Luis Severino signed a one-year, $13 million contract to join New York Mets last offseason hoping to get his career back on track. He did just thatposting a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts and 182 innings of work during the regular season and pitching quite well in the postseason as well.

Severino’s talent has never been in doubt, but his durability has been throughout his nine-year career. After pitching as one of the best pitchers in the American League from 2017-2018, he made just 45 appearances (40 starts) from 2019-2023. Most starting pitchers make 30 or more starts during a regular season. A multitude of injuries have greatly affected Severino’s availability.

The fact that he was as healthy as he was in 2024 was great news for Severino, and it’s why the Mets made him the qualifying offer to begin with, but it’s hard to imagine teams will be willing to commit more years for an injury-prone holder. who will turn 31 by opening day, when they must part with a draft pick to get him to sign.

Severino has a lot to gain if he proves he can string together back-to-back fully healthy seasons. If he can do that, he’ll have a chance to really cash in, and he can do so without a draft pick attached.

2) Nick Pivetta’s inconsistency would come back to bite him in free agency

One of the most surprising decisions regarding the qualification offer made was Boston Red Sox extending one to Nick Pivetta. This choice was definitely a head scratcher.

Pivetta has thrown at least 140 innings in each of his last four seasons, which is certainly a plus, and the Red Sox rotation would certainly take a hit if he went, but it’s not like Pivetta has the results to justify it to receive the qualification offer. He had a 4.14 ERA in 27 appearances (26 starts) and 145.2 innings of work last season and had a 4.29 ERA over parts of five seasons with the Red Sox. No doubt it was useful, but $21.05 million is a lot.

Pivetta has proven over the years that he has great stuff, but his inconsistency is maddening. On any given day, the righty can give his team seven innings and follow up with a three-inning error five days later. This season alone he had seven starts where he went at least six innings and allowed one run or fewer. He also had four starts in which he failed to pitch into the fifth inning and allowed five or more runs.

At the end of the day, Pivetta is a fine medium spin arm. He’s worth most teams signing on, but not at the $21.05 million price tag. It’s only a one-year deal, but for a team like the Red Sox who haven’t wanted to spend like they should in recent years, it’s odd that this was even offered. Pivetta should take it, have his best season yet and then cash in next offseason when teams don’t have to worry about giving up a draft pick to sign him.

1) It would be shocking if Nick Martinez didn’t accept the Reds’ qualifying offer

It can be argued that no pitcher has been more valuable than Nick Martinez in the month of September. The right-hander allowed just three earned runs in 32.2 innings pitched in five starts since September en route to being named the NL Pitcher of the Month. As impressive as he was briefly and in his first season with Cincinnati Redsit is quite surprising that he received the qualifying offer.

At 34, who just set career highs in innings pitched (142.1) and strikeouts (116), this might be Martinez’s best chance to take advantage of a lucrative multi-year deal. Are any teams really going to give him that?

As great as Martinez has been this season, he’s been much better as a reliever (1.86 ERA in 26 appearances) than as a starter (3.84 ERA in 16 starts). That’s been the case throughout his career as well (2.90 ERA as a reliever, 4.56 ERA as a starter). He is valuable as a swingman who maybe get out of the neighborhood and start, but is a swingman worth over $21 million?

Martinez could get a few years in free agency, but it’s hard to see a team giving him that when they also have to give up a draft pick, especially when his track record is nothing to write home about.