The Mariners made the expected move Monday by extending a qualifying offer to Randy Arozarena, putting a one-year, $23.5 million decision in front of one of the top bats on the free-agent market.
Arozarena is among eight players to receive the offer this year, joining Jake Bauers of the Brewers, David Bednar of the Yankees, Ryan Jeffers of the Twins, Brandon Lowe of the Pirates, Adrián Morejón of the Padres, Trevor Rogers of the Orioles and Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs. The qualifying offer is based on the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players in MLB, and while it gives clubs a one-year path to keep a player, the bigger prize is draft-pick compensation if that player leaves.
For Seattle, the move carries real significance. This is the first time the Mariners have extended a qualifying offer since 2015, when they did it for Hisashi Iwakuma. In that case, Iwakuma initially turned it down and was reportedly headed to the Dodgers before that deal fell apart and he returned to Seattle on a one-year deal with two option years.
If Arozarena signs elsewhere, the Mariners will receive draft-pick compensation for the first time after losing a free agent. Because Seattle is a revenue-sharing recipient and does not pay the luxury tax, the pick would land either in Competitive Balance Round A, after the first round, or Competitive Balance Round B, after the second.
Arozarena’s case is a strong one. The 31-year-old is coming off a career-best season, one that featured 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
He also trimmed his strikeouts to a career low while still drawing walks at an above-average rate, and his offensive approach was more balanced than before, using the whole field instead of chasing pull-side power. Arozarena said several times this year that he was trying to spread the ball around more and not just sell out for home runs, and the results gave him his best offensive season in a full year as a pro.
He also stands out in a market that is heavier on pitching, which should leave him with plenty of interest. The looming lockout may affect some players’ choices, but the source of uncertainty likely won’t matter much for Arozarena.
Players have until 1 PM PT on November 17 to accept or decline the qualifying offer, and during that window they can still talk with other teams to gauge their value.
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