Yankees star Juan Soto among 13 players who received qualifying offers on Monday

Posted by Admin November 4, 2024 Sports

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Thirteen free agents across Major League Baseball received a qualifying offer on Monday, marking one of the first major moments of the MLB offseason following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series win.

Among the 13 players who received a qualifying offer was New York Yankees star Juan Soto. The 26-year-old is considered the top free agent on the market this offseason after his latest impressive season with the Yankees.

Soto held a .288 batting average with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 2024, his first season with the Yankees after the team made a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres to acquire him.

Soto is expected to decline the qualifying offer in the near future, which would spark a bidding war for him that could go “well beyond” $500 million, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. Players have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19 to accept or reject their qualifying offers.

“I’m really happy with the city, with the team, but at the end of the day, we will see,” Soto said after the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in the World Series. “We’re going to look at every situation, every offer we get. I don’t know what teams want to come after me, but definitely I’ll be open to listen to every single team. I don’t have any doors closed or anything like that, so we’re going to be available for all 30 teams.”

[MORE ON MLB FREE AGENCY: Top 50 players available this winter]

The Yankees also struck a deal Monday to keep ace Gerrit Cole. Cole opted out of his contract over the weekend, but the Yankees voided that by adding a year to his current deal. He will now remain with the Yankees through 2029, and the team will pay him an additional $36 million on top of the $144 million he will earn over the next four seasons.

As for the Dodgers, the team sent an offer to Teoscar Hernández on Monday. They did not, however, send one to starting pitcher Walker Buehler, which is something of a surprise after his outstanding offseason.

Here’s a look at the 13 players who received qualifying offers on Monday.