Shohei Ohtani (29), the biggest name in Major League Baseball (MLB) free agency, has rejected a qualifying offer (QO) from his former club, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
"Seven players received QOs this offseason, but none accepted them," MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, reported on Friday (June 15).
Introduced in 2012, the QO is a system in which a team offers a free agent a one-year contract at the average salary of the top 125 highest-paid players in the big leagues. A team that signs a free agent who receives a QO from his home team must surrender a rookie designation the following year.
This year's QO amount is $20.32 million (about 2.66 billion won), up $675,000 (about $900,000) from last year's $19.65 million (about 2.57 billion won).
There was no reason for Ohtani to accept the QO. Players typically accept a QO when they believe the market is unfavorable to them. Local media outlets are now estimating that Ohtani's value could total more than $500 million (approximately 65.33 billion won).
In addition to Ohtani, infielder Matt Chapman, outfielder Cody Bellinger, starting pitchers Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, 카지노사이트랭크 and reliever Josh Hader declined their original clubs' QOs. They are now free to negotiate with any club.
Of the 131 players who have ever received a QO, only 13 have accepted.
Ohtani's two-hitter was just as potent this year.
In 135 games as a hitter, he batted .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBIs for an OPS of 1.066. He led all of MLB in OPS and the American League in home runs.
On the mound, he started 23 games and threw 132 innings before suffering an elbow injury, compiling a 10-5 record with 167 strikeouts and a 3.14 ERA.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September. He won't be able to pitch next season and won't be able to pitch again until 2025.
That hasn't diminished his value at all. Local media outlets are predicting that the Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago Cubs will all be in the mix for him. 섯다
