In previous winters, MLB players declining a qualifying offer was essentially a formality. Since teams extend those offers to only good players, the overwhelming majority of those players decline the qualifying offer to seek a mega-contract on the market. 

That’s changed in 2025. A record four players — including Chicago Cubs ace Shota Imanaga and New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham — accepted their qualifying offer Tuesday.

Because of that, Imanaga, Grisham, Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres and Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff will all return to their previous MLB franchises on one-year, $22.025 million contracts. 

All four players faced very different realities with free agency on the horizon. Torres and Grisham are veterans coming off career seasons. They may have been concerned teams would approach them with skepticism on the market, not wanting to commit multiple years and big money toward players who could decline next season.

Imanaga and Woodruff were both coming off injury-riddled years. While both players pitched well, Imanaga struggled mightily with home runs in his second season in the majors. Woodruff failed to regain his fastball velocity after returning from a serious shoulder injury.

While all four had significant questions, it’s possible some of them could have still signed multi-year contracts worth more than $22.025 million in total. Instead of testing the market to see if that was the case, all four players opted to stick with their old clubs. 

A total of 13 qualifying offers were extended to MLB free agents following the 2025 season. Grisham, Imanaga, Torres and Woodruff all accepted those offers.

The following nine players opted to reject the qualifying offer and hit the market:

• Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia Phillies

• Kyle Tucker, OF, Cubs

• Ranger Suarez, SP, Phillies

• Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

• Dylan Cease, SP, San Diego Padres

• Edwin Díaz, RP, New York Mets

• Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

• Michael King, SP, San Diego Padres

For über-elite free agents like Schwarber and Tucker, declining the qualifying offer was a no-brainer. Both players are set to make nine figures on the free-agent market. Settling for a one-year deal — despite the fairly high salary — wasn’t a consideration for those players. 

Since Schwarber and Tucker declined the qualifying offer, their former teams will receive draft-pick compensation if Schwarber or Tucker sign with another franchise in free agency.

For players who are not at the top of the free-agent rankings — like Torres or Woodruff — declining the QO comes with risk. Teams that sign players who declined a qualifying offer have to give up a draft pick to make the move. 

In the past, that has led to some non-elite free agents who declined the qualifying offer sitting on the market for much longer than expected. In those situations, MLB teams decided those types of players weren’t worth giving up a draft pick to sign. Grisham, Imanaga, Torres and Woodruff may have feared that scenario, leading to them accepting their offers Tuesday.

The upcoming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement may have also played a role in a record number of players accepting the qualifying offer. MLB’s CBA is set to expire following the 2026 season. Negotiations are expected to be contentious, and some fear a work stoppage. Because of that, more players may have been compelled to take the certainty of a one-year deal now over a multi-year contract that could get disrupted by CBA issues after next season.

With the qualifying-offer deadline out of the way, the free-agent market is officially set barring a shocking release. MLB teams now know exactly which players will be available to them as they look to make improvements in the offseason. 

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer and will return to the team for the 2026 season, according to multiplereports.

Imanaga, 32, is one of a record four MLB players to accepta qualifying offer before Tuesday’s deadline to decide if they wanted to re-up with their former teams.

The lefty Japanese pitcher posted a 9-8 record and 3.73 ERA in 25 starts for a playoff-bound Cubs squad this past season, although he missed most of May and June with a strained left hamstring and struggled mightily in September, allowing 10 home runs across five starts during the month.

Imanaga surprisingly became a free agent earlier this month when Chicago declined its club option on his contract, and then he declined his player option. That went down less than eight months after he was the team’s Opening Day starter on the heels of his 2024 All-Star campaign, during which he also made a run at the NL Cy Young Award in his first season in the majors.

[Get more Cubs news: Chicago team feed]

Imanaga left Nippon Professional Baseball and signed a four-year, $53 million deal in 2024 that included a series of options. One allowed the Cubs to extend Imanaga’s contract to five years, but they declined that three-year, $57.75 million option, as reported by The Athletic. 

Then Imanaga turned down a $15.25 million player option for 2026, throwing his name into the intriguing pool of free-agent starting pitchers this offseason.

The Cubs came back with their qualifying offer that Imanaga accepted rather than vying for a longer-term contract on the open market. If he had declined the qualifying offer, any team that signed him would have been subject to losing one or more draft picks.

After signing with the Cubs in 2024, Imanaga immediately made a name for himself in Chicago and in MLB. Becoming an ace for the Cubs, he went 15-3 in 29 starts as a rookie, thanks to a 2.91 ERA and a 6.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio that led the National League.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer and will return to the team for the 2026 season, according to multiplereports.

Imanaga, 32, is one of a record four MLB players to accepta qualifying offer before Tuesday’s deadline to decide if they wanted to re-up with their former teams.

The lefty Japanese pitcher posted a 9-8 record and 3.73 ERA in 25 starts for a playoff-bound Cubs squad this past season, although he missed most of May and June with a strained left hamstring and struggled mightily in September, allowing 10 home runs across five starts during the month.

Imanaga surprisingly became a free agent earlier this month when Chicago declined its club option on his contract, and then he declined his player option. That went down less than eight months after he was the team’s Opening Day starter on the heels of his 2024 All-Star campaign, during which he also made a run at the NL Cy Young Award in his first season in the majors.

[Get more Cubs news: Chicago team feed]

Imanaga left Nippon Professional Baseball and signed a four-year, $53 million deal in 2024 that included a series of options. One allowed the Cubs to extend Imanaga’s contract to five years, but they declined that three-year, $57.75 million option, as reported by The Athletic. 

Then Imanaga turned down a $15.25 million player option for 2026, throwing his name into the intriguing pool of free-agent starting pitchers this offseason.

The Cubs came back with their qualifying offer that Imanaga accepted rather than vying for a longer-term contract on the open market. If he had declined the qualifying offer, any team that signed him would have been subject to losing one or more draft picks.

After signing with the Cubs in 2024, Imanaga immediately made a name for himself in Chicago and in MLB. Becoming an ace for the Cubs, he went 15-3 in 29 starts as a rookie, thanks to a 2.91 ERA and a 6.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio that led the National League.

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With the General Manager Meetings all wrapped up, the groundwork is being laid for what is sure to be a busy offseason. After the Los Angeles Dodgers captured back-to-back World Series titles, teams are aiming to knock them off their throne and every club has needs to make that happen.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman take a look at all thirty MLB teams and determine what their main needs are this offseason. With teams like the Dodgers, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies all ready to spend money on high-priced free agents, how will they allocate their funds? What do teams in the middle—like the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs—do to try to close the gap?

Later, Jake and Jordan ask big questions regarding Kyle Tucker and his pursuit of over $400 million, who will be the toughest to envision wearing a different uniform and which player the Dodgers will eventually acquire to annoy fans from other teams. They also dive into the Seattle Mariners re-signing Josh Naylor after his successful half-season with them.

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images

1:33 – The Opener: Naylor back to Seattle

20:47 – Around the League: Needs for all 30 teams

39:36 – What do the teams in the middle do?

55:32 – Will smaller-market clubs spend?

59:42 – Pressing questions for free agents

1:14:55 – Field Report: Nats’ new manager

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Subscribe to Baseball Bar-B-Cast

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

With the General Manager Meetings all wrapped up, the groundwork is being laid for what is sure to be a busy offseason. After the Los Angeles Dodgers captured back-to-back World Series titles, teams are aiming to knock them off their throne and every club has needs to make that happen.

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman take a look at all thirty MLB teams and determine what their main needs are this offseason. With teams like the Dodgers, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies all ready to spend money on high-priced free agents, how will they allocate their funds? What do teams in the middle—like the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs—do to try to close the gap?

Later, Jake and Jordan ask big questions regarding Kyle Tucker and his pursuit of over $400 million, who will be the toughest to envision wearing a different uniform and which player the Dodgers will eventually acquire to annoy fans from other teams. They also dive into the Seattle Mariners re-signing Josh Naylor after his successful half-season with them.

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images

1:33 – The Opener: Naylor back to Seattle

20:47 – Around the League: Needs for all 30 teams

39:36 – What do the teams in the middle do?

55:32 – Will smaller-market clubs spend?

59:42 – Pressing questions for free agents

1:14:55 – Field Report: Nats’ new manager

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Trent Grisham is returning to the Bronx.

After the Yankees extended the qualifying offer to the outfielder, the 28-year-old accepted the $22.025 million deal for the 2026 season on Tuesday. 

It was an interesting decision for Grisham. The veteran outfielder has been a solid player in his MLB career, but broke out in 2025 with the Yankees. His 34 homers this season were twice as many as his previous career high (2022 with the Padres) and his 74 RBI were 12 more than his previous high in 2021. It wasn’t just his homers and RBI. Grisham set career marks in slugging (.464), hits (116), walks (82) and OPS (.811).

Many believed that Grisham would parlay that performance into a more lucrative deal, but he’s choosing to stay with the Yankees.

Now, how does this affect the Yankees’ offseason? GM Brian Cashman said that at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this month that he was “comfortable” extending the qualifying offer to Grisham and paying him the $22 million for one season, but that doesn’t preclude him from trying to bring back Cody Bellinger — who opted out of his Yankees deal after the 2025 season — or filling the rest of the team’s outfield.

“We’re comfortable [extending the qualifying offer to Grisham]. This is a very thin outfield market. If he turns it down, that means the market is flush with teams that have the need,” Cashman said at the time. “He had a hell of a year for us, was one of the big reasons we had the level of success we did, and we’d be happy if he accepted and came back.”

Grisham’s return takes some of the pressure off Cashman to fill out his roster. Aaron Judge is the only everyday outfielder he can trust, but now he can pair the AL MVP with Grisham for 2026. 

As for the other outfielder, Cashman will look to bring back Bellinger, but there are also internal options available (Jasson Dominguez/Spencer Jones).

Trent Grisham really enjoys hitting in Yankee Stadium. After a career year, in which he smashed 34 home runs, Grisham reportedly agreed to take the team’s qualifying offer Tuesday, per ESPN.

With the move, Grisham, 29, returns to the team on a one-year, $22.025 million deal in 2026. 

Little was expected of Grisham heading into the 2025 MLB season. He was coming off three straight seasons with batting averages below .200. And while his bat offered some pop, Grisham was also coming off three straight seasons with a slugging percentage under .400. 

After hitting .214, with four home runs, in spring training, Grisham made the Yankees’ roster as backup outfielder and defensive replacement. He was used in that exact manner during the team’s 4-2 opening day win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

After sitting on the bench for the Yankees’ first five games, Grisham finally got his first start during an April 3 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 3-for-4 with a home run in the contest, and it proved to be a harbinger of what was to come for the previously written-off outfielder. 

Grisham turned in a phenomenal first month of the season, slashing .292/.370/.639, with eight home runs, in April. After starting the year on the bench, Grisham suddenly found himself hitting leadoff for the best offense in baseball. 

[Get more Yankees news: New York team feed]

Grisham couldn’t fully sustain that early momentum, but finished the first half with a .251/.353/.464 slash line. 

While his batting average slowed down in the second half, he maintained everything else. Despite hitting .216 in the second half, Grisham posted a .342 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage over that stretch.

Those figures combined to give Grisham a .235/.348/.464 slash line on the year. That was good for a career-high 125 OPS+ — an advanced stat that measures a player’s offensive contributions. Grisham’s 34 home runs were double his previous career-high of 17. He ranked No. 16 in Yahoo Sports’ Top 50 MLB free agents for this offseason.  

Grisham, a lefty, definitely took advantage of the short right-field porch in Yankee Stadium in his walk year. The veteran outfielder would have posted lower home-run totals in nearly every other park, the only exception being the Sutter Health Park, where the Athletics will play until their Las Vegas stadium is ready.

But Grisham wasn’t completely reliant on the short porch. He also posted career-highs in barrel rate and exit velocity. Both figures were likely fueled by a faster bat speed and fast-swing rate. Despite swinging faster, Grisham controlled the bat better. He made contact at a higher clip on pitches both inside and outside the zone, allowing him to extend at-bats to take walks or drive mistakes out of the park. His swing was geared to crush fastballs — and he did to the tune of a .272 average and a .577 slugging percentage — but he also improved both metrics on breaking and offspeed pitches as well. He made legitimate improvements last season, as evidenced by the fact that he would have hit a career-high number of home runs in 2025 regardless of where he played, per Baseball Savant. 

Because of that, the Yankees offered Grisham a qualifying offer once free agency began. While few players accept qualifying offers, Grisham apparently felt good enough about the team, the money and his situation to take the deal.

While he likely could have received a bigger contract elsewhere, Grisham opted to run it back with the Yankees. After setting multiple career-highs last season, it’s tough to blame him for wanting to come back.

Trent Grisham really enjoys hitting in Yankee Stadium. After a career year, in which he smashed 34 home runs, Grisham reportedly agreed to take the team’s qualifying offer Tuesday, per ESPN.

With the move, Grisham, 29, returns to the team on a one-year, $22.025 million deal in 2026. 

Little was expected of Grisham heading into the 2025 MLB season. He was coming off three straight seasons with batting averages below .200. And while his bat offered some pop, Grisham was also coming off three straight seasons with a slugging percentage under .400. 

After hitting .214, with four home runs, in spring training, Grisham made the Yankees’ roster as backup outfielder and defensive replacement. He was used in that exact manner during the team’s 4-2 opening day win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

After sitting on the bench for the Yankees’ first five games, Grisham finally got his first start during an April 3 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 3-for-4 with a home run in the contest, and it proved to be a harbinger of what was to come for the previously written-off outfielder. 

Grisham turned in a phenomenal first month of the season, slashing .292/.370/.639, with eight home runs, in April. After starting the year on the bench, Grisham suddenly found himself hitting leadoff for the best offense in baseball. 

[Get more Yankees news: New York team feed]

Grisham couldn’t fully sustain that early momentum, but finished the first half with a .251/.353/.464 slash line. 

While his batting average slowed down in the second half, he maintained everything else. Despite hitting .216 in the second half, Grisham posted a .342 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage over that stretch.

Those figures combined to give Grisham a .235/.348/.464 slash line on the year. That was good for a career-high 125 OPS+ — an advanced stat that measures a player’s offensive contributions. Grisham’s 34 home runs were double his previous career-high of 17. He ranked No. 16 in Yahoo Sports’ Top 50 MLB free agents for this offseason.  

Grisham, a lefty, definitely took advantage of the short right-field porch in Yankee Stadium in his walk year. The veteran outfielder would have posted lower home-run totals in nearly every other park, the only exception being the Sutter Health Park, where the Athletics will play until their Las Vegas stadium is ready.

But Grisham wasn’t completely reliant on the short porch. He also posted career-highs in barrel rate and exit velocity. Both figures were likely fueled by a faster bat speed and fast-swing rate. Despite swinging faster, Grisham controlled the bat better. He made contact at a higher clip on pitches both inside and outside the zone, allowing him to extend at-bats to take walks or drive mistakes out of the park. His swing was geared to crush fastballs — and he did to the tune of a .272 average and a .577 slugging percentage — but he also improved both metrics on breaking and offspeed pitches as well. He made legitimate improvements last season, as evidenced by the fact that he would have hit a career-high number of home runs in 2025 regardless of where he played, per Baseball Savant. 

Because of that, the Yankees offered Grisham a qualifying offer once free agency began. While few players accept qualifying offers, Grisham apparently felt good enough about the team, the money and his situation to take the deal.

While he likely could have received a bigger contract elsewhere, Grisham opted to run it back with the Yankees. After setting multiple career-highs last season, it’s tough to blame him for wanting to come back.