Eight MLB players tagged with $23.15M qualifying offer: Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki, Jake Bauers, more

The deadline for players to accept or decline the QO is Nov. 17

Nov 2, 2026 at 5:15 pm ET • 5 min read

Eight MLB free agents were extended a one-year, $23.15 million contract offer on Monday that, if declined, could fetch their old teams draft-pick compensation. That group includes Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki.

This is one of the smallest groups of qualifying offers ever. Only six players got one in 2020. There were 13 last offseason, and we've seen as many as 20. From 2012 to 2025, 157 qualifying offers were made and only 18 accepted, including a record four last year.

Each offseason, certain free agents are eligible for the qualifying offer (QO). Those eligible free agents have never before received the QO and who spent the prior season with only one team (in other words, players traded during the season cannot receive the QO). The QO is set as the average of the top 125 salaries for a given year, and for the 2026-27 offseason it's a record $23.15 million.

Eligible players who accept the QO will play the 2027 season under that salary for their 2026 team, while those who turn it down become free agents, albeit with the QO compensation attached. That attachment means that the free agent's former team is entitled to an additional draft pick. The position of that draft pick depends upon the team's status when it comes to the luxury tax and revenue-sharing debits or credits. 

On the other side, a team that signs a free agent with a QO attached is penalized with the loss of a draft pick, depending again upon the signing team's classification when it comes to the luxury tax and revenue sharing.

Most QO decisions are obvious. Premium free agents receive one without much thought, just as the much less coveted class of free agents do not. It's in the middle ground that interesting decisions lie -- first on the club side and then, if offered, on the player side. That's even more the case this year, when the expiring CBA and negotiations toward a new one have already included talk of a salary cap and restrictions on free agent contracts. 

Players presented with a QO this offseason will have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 17 to accept or reject the offer.

Below you'll find a rundown of the eight players who received a QO. Do note the players are listed in order of their free agent ranking.

Adrián Morejón, P, Padres

One of the top relievers in baseball over the last three seasons, Morejón gains attractiveness on the open market due to having an effective four-pitch arsenal. That means it's possible he and the team he signs with will want him to convert to a starting pitcher. He could stay in relief, too, where it's likely he'd continue to dominate. A path needs to be chosen, but this guy is a special talent. 

• Will he accept? No

Trevor Rogers, SP, Orioles

Rogers was traded to the Orioles in 2024 and struggled to the point that he needed a trip to the minors. Once he returned in 2025, he was outstanding, pitching to a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts. He struggled to start last season, but made some adjustments and had a 2.90 ERA in his last 20 starts. He's the fallback option to Tarik Skubal, who wasn't eligible for a qualifying offer after a midseason trade. 

• Will he accept? No

Randy Arozarena, OF, Mariners

The power-speed threat posted his sixth straight 20-20 season in 2026 along with an excellent .381 on-base percentage and career-best 5.7 WAR. He's hitting free agency at the right time, though he heads to his age-32 season with sustainability questions, not to mention a few under-the-hood reasons to worry about things going downhill moving forward. Still, it's a weak class for big bats and he'll get paid. 

• Will he accept? No

Seiya Suzuki, OF, Cubs

Thanks in large part to huge improvements on defense, Suzuki posted a career-high 5.1 WAR in 2026. His batting average and slugging percentage were right in line with his established career marks and he improved his walk rate to rock a higher OBP. The best path forward is probably to ignore the defensive gains and realize there's a high floor here with the bat for another several years. 

• Will he accept? No

Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins

There were trade rumors about Jeffers last July, but the Twins hung around in the playoff race and ended up being buyers. Injury limited Jeffers to just 92 games, but on a rate basis he's been a very good hitting catcher for four years, along with being a quality backstop as well. 

• Will he accept? No

Jake Bauers, 1B, Brewers

The NLCS MVP and World Series champion is coming off a career year at the plate. He had a 140 OPS+ and 3.3 WAR in 144 games and 578 plate appearances, serving as the two-hole hitter for the Brewers throughout the playoffs. He heads to his age-31 season, and this might well be the opportunity of his lifetime for one huge payday.

• Will he accept? He's never made more than $2.7 million in a season and nearly retired from baseball relatively recently, as you may have heard during the playoffs. It would be awfully tough to turn down more than $20 million for just one season, but with the dearth of bats available on the open market, it's possible Bauers turns it down. I'm on the fence here.

Brandon Lowe, 2B, Pirates

Lowe just posted a career-high 5.4 WAR in 150 games in his first season with the Pirates, topping 30 home runs for the third time in his career, and he averages 35 homers per 162 games. Are the defensive gains real or a one-year outlier? Will his struggles against lefties prevent a long-term deal?

• Will he accept? Probably not, but this would double his previous career high in salary for a season. It might be worth a look.

David Bednar, RP, Yankees

While there has been some inconsistency (he was brutal for some of 2024, for example), Bednar is coming off a big 2026 season. He was one of the best closers in baseball and showed with the Yankees he can handle a high-profile closing job. He also has a good playoff track record. There isn't much of a top-level closer market in free agency, so he's surely turning this down.

• Will he accept? No