The Seattle Mariners have taken their next step in the free agent process with Randy Arozarena.
It involved offering him a specific type of contract on Monday, and while it's one Arozarena seems unlikely to accept, it's all part of the process here.
The news emerged Monday evening, and we'll break it down here.
The Mariners extended what's called a qualifying offer to Randy Arozarena.
If accepted, it would pay Arozarena $23.15 million to play for Seattle in the 2027 MLB season.
He's one of eight players who were given the 'QO' in this process:
The reason teams extend qualifying offers to free agents is two-fold.
One aspect is simply saying that they'd be willing to pay that player that dollar amount to play for them next season. In the case of Arozarena with the Mariners, that's a no-brainer.
The other reason is that it sets up draft pick compensation. If Arozarena declines the qualifying offer and signs with a new team, the Mariners receiver a compensatory draft pick in the 2027 MLB Draft.
For any player who a team would feel comfortable keeping around for the assigned salary amount, it's logical to extend the qualifying offer, because the worst outcome is picking up a draft pick — that a team wouldn't get if they didn't use the 'QO' on a given player.
Arozarena, as much as any player on that list, seems likely to decline the qualifying offer.
He's simply set up to make too much money in free agency.
It's a weak hitter class of free agents, and Arozarena is likely set to cash in.
"You should always be a little skeptical of walk-year breakouts, and I worry about a hitter entering his age-32 season who already has iffy bat speed, so while he was the best free-agent hitter in 2026 by WAR, I'm thinking short-term deals for him, more like three years and $90 million, and maybe hoping to get him to pull the ball in the air more right away to maximize his production in Year 1," The Athletic's Keith Law wrote on Monday.
The players most likely to accept a qualifying offer are likely those who feel they need a bounceback season and can make more money in free agency next year.
Given Arozarena's age, he probably should cash in now while he still can, just in case. But it's logical process by the Mariners to extend him the qualifying offer anyway. It can't really turn out too poorly for Seattle either way.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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