Free-agent deadline today
Market on hold until players decide on qualifying offers.
How many of the 20 free agents will accept the $15.8 million qualifying offers they were given last week?
All 34 offers were turned down in the first three years of baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement. This year’s group, which must decide whether to accept by 5 p.m. EST today, includes second baseman Daniel Murphy (Mets), outfielder Colby Rasmus (Astros) and pitcher Marco Estrada (Blue Jays). Reports surfaced Thursday night that Rasmus accepted Houston’s offer.
When a player doesn’t accept a qualifying offer and signs elsewhere, his former team gets an additional high selection as compensation in next June’s amateur draft. Because the signing club loses a top pick, the market has slowed for lessthan-prime free agents.
“The fact that players say no, go out into the market and get contracts even though the signing club is giving up a draft choice kind of says to me we got it right,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said this week.
As general managers left their meetings after four days at the Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort & Club, the market seemed to slow while teams await today’s decisions.
“I didn’t get that sense that there was a bunch of stuff that’s ready to happen, either on the freeagent side or the trade side,” Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said.
Angels: Los Angeles acquired star defensive shortstop Andrelton Simmons from Atlanta for a package of players that included veteran shortstop/second baseman Erick Aybar and pitching prospects Chris Ellis, 23, and left-hander Sean Newcomb, 22.
Simmons, 26, had five years and $53 million left on his contract.
He won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award on Tuesday. He’s a two-time Gold Glove winner but was edged out for a third this week by the Giants’ Brandon Crawford.
Diamondbacks: Matt Williams is returning to his old job as thirdbase coach after being fired as Nationals manager. Arizona also named Garvis Alston (formerly with Oakland) as bullpen coach, and the team said hitting coach Turner Ward is leaving to pursue other opportunities.
Mariners: Seattle acquired right-hander Joaquin Benoit, 38, from San Diego for two minor league prospects — righthander Enyel De Los Santos and infielder Nelson Ward.
Athletics: Former outfielder Mark Kotsay is rejoining the organization as a bench coach for manager Bob Melvin.