No surprise: Hosmer, Moustakas, Cain turn down Royals' qualifying offers
NEW YORK -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and outfielder Lorenzo Cain were among nine free agents who turned down $17.4 million qualifying offers from their teams Thursday.
Two former Royals, Cubs pitcher Wade Davis and Rockies closer Greg Holland, also said no to the offers, as did Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, Tampa Bay pitcher Alex Cobb, St. Louis pitcher Lance Lynn and Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana.
If they sign with new teams, their old clubs would get an extra draft pick as compensation -- possibly a much lower selection than in the past under the rules in baseball's new labor contract.
A club signing one of the players who didn't accept would lose a draft selection -- no longer a first-round pick -- and possibly part of its international bonus pool allocation for 2018-19.
Revenue-sharing recipients that do not pay luxury tax receive an additional pick after the first round if a qualified free agent signs elsewhere for $50 million or more and they forfeit their third-highest selection for signing a qualified player: Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Milwaukee, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
The five teams paying luxury tax this year receive an extra selection after the fourth round for losing a qualified free agent who signs for $50 million or more. For signing a qualified free agent, they forfeit their second- and fifth-highest picks and $1 million of their international signing pool that starts next July 2: Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Francisco and Washington.
The other nine teams receive an additional pick after the Competitive Balance B round if a qualified free agent signs elsewhere for $50 million or more and forfeit their second-highest pick and $500,000 of their next international signing pool: Boston, the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Texas and Toronto.
For qualified free agents signing for less than $50 million, teams receive a pick after the Competitive Balance B round, except for the five that pay luxury tax, where the extra pick is always after the fourth round.
