NEW YORK — Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman and San Francisco starter Kevin Gausman accepted $18.9 million qualifying offers Wednesday, receiving one-year deals to stay with their teams rather than test what they could get in free agency.
Four players declined qualifying offers at the 5 p.m. EST deadline: right-hander Trevor Bauer from Cincinnati, outfielder George Springer from Houston, second baseman DJ LeMahieu from the New York Yankees and catcher J.T. Realmuto from Philadelphia.
If any of those players sign with a new team, his former club would receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round of next year's amateur draft or at the end of competitive balance round B. The placement depends on whether the new contract is worth $50 million or more and the revenue-sharing and luxury tax status of the team losing the player.
A team signing the player would give up either its third-highest draft pick, its second-highest pick and $500,000 of international signing bonus allotment or its second- and fifth-highest selections and $1 million of international signing bonus allotment, depending on revenue-sharing and luxury tax status of the signing club.
Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 10 of 96 offers have been accepted.
Other players among the 181 players who became free agents can sign without compensation. That group includes pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, outfielder Marcell Ozuna, shortstop Didi Gregorius and designated hitter Nelson Cruz.
Stroman, a 29-year-old right-hander, did not play this year. He missed the start of the shortened season in late July due to a torn left calf muscle, then said on Aug. 10 he had opted out because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A native of Long Island who grew up about 50 miles from Citi Field, Stroman announced his decision the day after new Mets owner Steve Cohen held an introductory news conference. Cohen bought the team last week from the Wilpon and Katz families for a baseball-record $2.42 billion.
