13 free agents receive qualifying offers
Three members of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox head the list of 13 free agents who received qualifying offer from their teams at Monday's deadline.
Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, shortstop Stephen Drew and first baseman Mike Napoli were all offered a one-year, $14.1 million deal. The offers keep the Red Sox in line for compensation should any of the three sign with another team.
The New York Yankees made qualifying offers to three free agents: second baseman Robinson Cano, outfielder Curtis Granderson and right-hander Hiroki Kuroda.
The others to receive qualifying offers were Cincinnati Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran, Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann, Seattle Mariners designated hitter Kendrys Morales, Cleveland Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz and Kansas City Royals right-hander Ervin Santana.
Those 13 players have until 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 11 to accept the one-year offer. If they decline and subsequently sign with another team, their former team would receive a compensatory draft pick between the first and second rounds next June. The signing team would lose its first-round pick, unless it was one of the 10 worst teams in 2013, in which case it would lose its next draft pick.
Among the players who did not get a qualifying offer were Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett, Washington Nationals right-hander Dan Haren, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Corey Hart, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Josh Johnson, Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo, Oakland A's right-hander Bartolo Colon and closer Grant Balfour, and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay and catcher Carlos Ruiz.
According to MLB.com, nine players were tendered qualifying offers last year, and all nine rejected the offer.
Free agency officially began at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday.
