Main League Baseball has formally set the qualifying supply value at $22.025MM, in accordance with an Related Press report. Joel Sherman of The New York Submit had reported final month that the QO could be round $22MM, and it certainly lands simply above that mark.
The qualifying supply is calculated as the common wage for the league’s 125 highest-paid gamers. It tends to rise yr over yr as salaries on the highest of the market usually inflate. Final yr’s QO value was set at $21.05MM, so this represents a $975K bump. The earlier years’ QO figures have been as follows:
2012-13: $13.3MM
2013-14: $14.4MM
2014-15: $15.3MM
2015-16: $15.8MM
2016-17: $17.2MM
2017-18: $17.4MM
2018-19: $17.9MM
2019-20: $17.8MM
2020-21: $18.9MM
2021-22: $18.4MM
2022-23: $19.65MM
2023-24: $20.325MM
2024-25: $21.05MM
Groups have till 5 days after the conclusion of the World Sequence to determine whether or not to concern the qualifying supply to any of their impending free brokers. Gamers who’re issued the QO have 15 days to determine whether or not to just accept the one-year deal or decline looking for a greater (often multi-year) contract. They’re free to talk with all 30 groups throughout that 15-day interval to get an early learn on their market.
Not all free brokers are eligible to obtain a qualifying supply. A participant can’t be tagged with a QO greater than as soon as in his profession. Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Cody Bellinger are amongst this yr’s free brokers who’ve beforehand been issued the qualifying supply and thus can’t be tagged once more. A group can solely concern a QO to a participant who spent your entire previous season on their roster. Commerce deadline acquisitions Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly are all ineligible, as is August waiver declare Ha-Seong Kim (if he opts out of his cope with the Braves).
The qualifying supply entitles the previous group to draft compensation if a participant declines and indicators elsewhere. Luxurious tax paying golf equipment obtain a draft alternative after the fourth spherical. Income sharing recipients would get a choose on the finish of the primary spherical if the participant indicators for a assure of a minimum of $50MM; the additional draft alternative would in any other case fall between Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B and the start of the third spherical (roughly seventy fifth general). Groups that neither pay the posh tax nor obtain income sharing get a choose after Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B whatever the contract worth.
Signing a professional free agent from one other group comes with draft and/or worldwide bonus pool penalties. Luxurious tax payors lose their second- and fifth-highest picks within the 2026 draft, plus $1MM from their ’27 bonus pool for worldwide amateurs. Income sharing recipients lose their third-highest 2026 draft alternative. Groups that neither paid the posh tax nor obtain income sharing forfeit their second-highest draft choose and $500K from their ’27 worldwide pool. If a group indicators a number of certified free brokers inside the similar offseason, they’d lose one other draft choose and take a second matching hit to their worldwide pool.
Final offseason, groups issued qualifying affords to 13 gamers, considered one of whom accepted. This winter will definitely see every of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez, Dylan Stop, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez obtain and reject one. Brandon Woodruff, Michael King, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen and Trent Grisham are every prone to decline a QO as effectively.
The Cubs would most likely make one to Shota Imanaga even when they don’t train their three-year, $57MM choice on his providers. Jack Flaherty could be a borderline QO candidate if he declines his $20MM participant choice, whereas Lucas Giolito, Gleyber Torres and Devin Williams are lengthy shot prospects. There are often one or two shock QO selections every winter, with Nick Martinez and Nick Pivetta every being surprising recipients a yr in the past.
