Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweeted Thursday that Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus has become the first major league player ever to accept a qualifying offer and take a pass on free agency. Rosenthal also mentioned that all of the 34 players who received qualifying offers over the past three years have rejected them. The offer Rasmus accepted will be a one year, $15.8 million deal. Though no player has ever accepted a qualifying offer previously, this year there were a total of 20 offers given out (the most thus far) leaving speculation that this would be the year someone accepted one.
Sources: Free-agent outfielder Colby Rasmus will accept qualifying offer and return to the Astros for one year, $15.8 million. Story coming.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 12, 2015
Rasmus is the first free agent to ever accept a qualifying offer. All 34 players who received QOs the past three years rejected them.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 12, 2015
Matt Goldman of the MLB Daily Dish has written that Dave Cameron of FanGraph projected that Rasmus would get a three year deal worth $42 million, John Heyman projected $50 million over four years. Experts projected a multi-year deal was expected to be offered to the 29-year-old, as Rasmus coming off of one of the best offensive performances of his career. Rasmus hit 25 home runs, 61 RBIs, had an on base percentage of .314 and a .475 slugging percentage in 485 total plate appearances.
Rasmus is assumed to be covering Left Field while Carlos Gomez covers Center, and George Springer plays Right. The Houston Astros are coming off of their first post season appearance since 2005. They were able to escape the Wild Card round by shutting out the Yankees in their one game playoff before losing the next series with the Royals in five games. Rasmus had a home run in that Wild Card win against the Yankees and had three in the series with the Royals, homering in Games 1, 2 and 4.
In 2014 twelve players who were given a Qualifying Offer, and all twelve rejected the offer.
Below is a list, provided by Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors, of the 20 MLB Players who were offered the now controversial Qualifying Offer.
- Brett Anderson, SP (Dodgers)
- Wei-Yin Chen, SP (Orioles)
- Chris Davis, 1B (Orioles)
- Ian Desmond, SS (Nationals)
- Marco Estrada, SP (Blue Jays)
- Dexter Fowler, OF (Cubs)
- Yovani Gallardo, SP (Rangers)
- Alex Gordon, OF (Royals)
- Zack Greinke, SP (Dodgers)
- Jason Heyward, OF (Cardinals)
- Hisashi Iwakuma, SP (Mariners)
- Howie Kendrick, 2B (Dodgers)
- Ian Kennedy, SP (Padres)
- John Lackey, SP (Cardinals)
- Daniel Murphy, 2B/3B (Mets)
- Colby Rasmus, OF (Astros)
- Jeff Samardzija, SP (White Sox)
- Justin Upton, OF (Padres)
- Matt Wieters, C (Orioles)
- Jordan Zimmermann, SP (Nationals)
