13 MLB players were officially tendered a $22.025M qualifying offer by their respective team this week, acting as a placeholder for the upcoming free agent season. Most (if not all) are expected to decline the salary to hit the open market, and Spotrac looks at what their future compensation might look like.

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Kyle Tucker (29, RF, Cubs)

10 years, $400M

Tucker’s shine wore off a bit as he pushed through a fractured hand, but he remains the top all-around pending free agent this winter. The numbers likely won’t reach Soto or even Judge thresholds, but this should be another eye-popping free agent contract nevertheless.

Dylan Cease (30, SP, Padres)

7 years, $210M

Cease doesn’t have the statistical resume or consistency as many of the top-paid pitchers possess, but he’s got age and durability on his side this winter. Since making his debut in 2019, Cease has never missed a start. That might be worth an extra year on the contract when it’s all said and done.

Framber Valdez (31, SP, Astros)

6 years, $200M

Valdez hits the market with a bit of a weird vibe, as questions surrounding his health, conditioning, and locker room presence all surfaced in 2025. The production on the mound hasn’t wavered a bit however, and there’s a world where contending teams overpay on the annual to maximize a shorter term deal here.

Bo Bichette (28, SS, Blue Jays)

7 years, $175M

Bichette is a hit machine, and has shown a good deal of power in his first 6+ seasons as well. This recent knee injury could be a nail in the coffin for his days as a shortstop, but a willingness to slide over to 2nd or 3rd in a more primary manner could help bolster his market this winter. A mini bidding war should get his bottom line north of $200M.

Ranger Suarez (30, SP, Phillies)

6 years, $160M

The best case to be made for Suarez is that he’s found a way to be successful in a variety of ways, despite a dip in velocity the past few seasons. Every team in the league wants a LHP who can give them 150 IP without blinking, but longevity will be a red flag per these negotiations.

Kyle Schwarber (33, DH, Phillies)

4 years, $120M

Mathematically, Schwarber in a full-time DH role carries a value at around $25M per year, but his pedigree, experience, and history of clutch production should be considered nearly invaluable to contenders this winter. Will the Phillies push more into the tax in order to retain his services?

Michael King (30, SP, Padres)

4 years, $85M

A knee injury derailed the back end of King’s 2025 campaign, but he’s just 1 season removed from an outstanding 2024 season, his first as a full-time starter. Is this the prince turning back into a pumpkin, or will a team or two put enough faith in his somewhat inconsistent production to guarantee him Tier 3 starting pitcher pay this offseason?

Shota Imanaga (32, SP, Cubs)

4 years, $75M

The Cubs somewhat surprisingly punted on a 3 year, $57M for Imanaga, who maintained decent numbers in his second season despite struggling to keep the ball in the ballpark at times. Mathematically speaking, he’s an $18M-$19M per year player in our system (almost identical to what Chicago just declined). It doesn’t seem inconceivable that a team or two are willing to take a flier at that price point.

Edwin Diaz (31, RP, Mets)

4 years, $75M

Still one of the best closers in baseball, Diaz opted out of a remaining 3 years, $48M to hit the open market this winter. The Mets are largely expected to make a significant offer here, but it seems likely that more than a few teams will be sniffing around this situation.

Trent Grisham (29, CF, Yankees)

4 years, $60M

The former #15 overall pick by Milwaukee had a breakout season in his walk-year for the Yankees (34 homers, .813 OPS, 3.58 WAR). He showed flashes of this power during his time in San Diego, but clearly found a sweet spot in NY last season. It’s hard to imagine he’ll find an APY anywhere near the $22.025M QO price point this winter, but his defensive consistency combined with a little extra power should secure him a strong multi-year guarantee.

Brandon Woodruff (32, SP, Brewers)

2 years, $35M

Injuries have been the main headline for Woodruff’s past 4 seasons in Milwaukee, but when he’s right, he’s one of the most productive rotation arms in the game. With that said, he seems unreasonable to assume that teams will be clamoring to hand out a long-term guarantee with any kind of substance here. The 32-year-old is certainly a candidate to sign the QO and stick with his drafted team, but we’ll assume that he opts for a little more guaranteed money on a short-term deal this winter. It should also be noted that Woodruff received a $10M buyout in declining his $20M player option this month.

Zac Gallen (30, SP, Diamondbacks)

Signs the 1 year, $22.025M QO

Gallen’s consistency and production plummeted in each of the past two seasons, culminating in career-lows for the 2025 campaign. The 30-year-old Boras client projects toward a 4 year, $75M contract in our system, but could very well decide on taking the 1 year, $22.05M tender salary, betting on himself, and trying this again next winter (without the QO stink attached to him).

Gleyber Torres (28, 2B, Tigers)

Signs the 1 year, $22.025M QO

While the power numbers haven’t quite rebounded from big 2022-2023 seasons, Torres is still finding ways to fill up the stat board. Torres played out 2025 on a 1 year, $15M contract in Detroit and now projects toward a 4 year, $60M deal this time around. A QO attached to his name could slow/devalue his process however, which could prompt the 28-year-old to take the 1-tender (and a nice raise), and then re-enter free agency next winter.