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Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, Houston Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus and Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson accepted one-year qualifying offers worth $15.8 million for the 2016 season. The players are the first to accept qualifying offers since the system began as a tool to give teams protection from losing star players.
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The offers extended by their present teams would have guaranteed draft compensation in the form of picks between the first and second round. Those "sandwich" picks are awarded when players sign with new teams in free agency.
New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander David Price and Orioles slugger Chris Davis declined the offers and will be among coveted players on the market.
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada signed a two-year, $26 million deal instead of taking the one-year, $15.8 million offer.
San Diego Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy turned down the qualifying offer.
With Wieters on the books, the Orioles will have difficult decisions to make on Davis and pitcher Darren O'Day.
Rasmus, 29, hit a career-high 25 homers and knocked in 61 runs while making $8 million in 2015, his first year in Houston. He batted .238 with a .314 on-base percentage and a .475 slugging percentage, not far from his career line of .245/.313/.443. Rasmus started more than 30 games in all three outfield positions this year.
