The majority of MLB free agents received a qualifying offer, but not all of them. Those who do not immediately become free agents with no restrictions.
The most notable players who did not receive a qualifying offer this time around are, per ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Rodon, Anthony DeSclafani and Jon Gray.
Kershaw could very well leave the Dodgers this offseason despite playing his entire career in Los Angeles. He will go into the Hall of Fame as a Dodger, but is a threat to sign elsewhere, including the rival San Francisco Giants.
The White Sox decided at the end of the season they would not bring back starter Carlos Rodon, per MLB insider Bob Nightengale. So, he did not receive a qualifying offer.
DeSclafani could also head elsewhere, with the Giants already targeting bigger names like Max Scherzer in free agency. Jon Gray is a relative surprise for the Rockies, since they opted not to trade him at the deadline. They’ll lose him for nothing.
What is a qualifying offer in MLB?
Basically, MLB teams will receive draft compensation when they lose a player they have signed to a qualifying offer. From the player’s perspective, they are able to sign said offer if they choose. The following is per MLB.com:
“A player will have 10 days to accept or decline the qualifying offer, during which time he can negotiate with other teams to survey his market value. Should a player decide to accept the qualifying offer, he is signed for the following year at that predetermined rate (i.e., the mean salary of the league’s 125 highest-paid players). If a player rejects the qualifying offer, he is free to further explore the free-agent market.”
Losing a free agent for nothing is less than ideal, but it basically means the team is willing to do so, as is the case with the White Sox and Rodon, and Rockies with Gray.