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Friday was the deadline for MLB teams to make a qualifying offer to their own pending free agent players if they wanted to receive a compensatory draft pick should those players sign with another team. A total of 20 qualifying offers were made, which is more than in any previous year. Twelve players received qualifying offers a year ago, 13 players in 2013, and nine in 2012. The offer, which is equal to the average salary of the top 125 major league players, was $15.8 million for one season this time around. Players now have seven days to accept or reject the qualifying offers.
The trend for clubs to extend qualifying offers to potential free agent players is no doubt helped by the fact that no player has actually accepted a qualifying offer in the three years that the current system has been in place. Some of the players who have received qualifying offers have a market value of less than a $15.8 million salary for one season, but they will still seek a more lucrative multi-year contract on the free agent market.
The Detroit Tigers will have an advantage over most other teams should they try to sign a player who has received a qualifying offer, since Detroit's first round draft pick is protected. Most teams would lose a first round pick, but Detroit would forfeit a second round pick if they sign one of the qualified players, and a third round pick should they sign two of them. Players who were traded during the season, such as David Price and Yoenis Cespedes, are not eligible to receive qualifying offers and are not subject to compensation.
Players that received a qualifying offer
| Player | Team | 2015 salary | Agent |
| Brett Anderson | Dodgers | $10 million | The Legacy Agency |
| Wei-Yin Chen | Orioles | $4.75 million | Scott Boras |
| Chris Davis | Orioles | $12 million | Boras Corporation |
| Ian Desmond | Nationals | $11 million | Sports One Athlete Mgmt. |
| Marco Estrada | Blue Jays | $3.9 million | TWC Sports |
| Dexter Fowler | Cubs | $9.5 million | Excel Sports Mgmt |
| Yovani Gallardo | Rangers | $14 million | Bobby Witt |
| Alex Gordon | Royals | $12.5 million | Casey Close |
| Zack Greinke | Dodgers | $25 million | Excel Sports Mgmt |
| Jason Heyward | Cardinals | $7.8 million | Excel Sports Mgmt |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | Mariners | $7 million | Wasserman Media Grp |
| Howie Kendrick | Dodgers | $9.5 million | Larry Reynolds |
| Ian Kennedy | Padres | $9.85 million | Scott Boras |
| John Lackey | Cardinals | $507,500 | Steve Hillard |
| Daniel Murphy | Mets | $8 million | ACES |
| Colby Rasmus | Astros | $8 million | Excel Sports Mgmt. |
| Jeff Samardzija | White Sox | $9.8 million | Wasserman Media Grp |
| Justin Upton | Padres | $14.5 million | Larry Reynolds |
| Matt Wieters | Orioles | $8.3 million | Scott Boras |
| Jordan Zimmermann | Nationals | $16.5 million | Relativity Baseball |
Friday was also the deadline for teams and players to exercise any contract options that they had for the 2016 season. We identified several players as "likely" to have their options picked up, and most did. Surprises of note were Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox and Nori Aoki of the San Francisco Giants, who both saw their team options denied by their now-former clubs.
Options Exercised
| Player | Age |
Team | Contract | Type | Buyout |
| Jose Bautista | 35 |
Blue Jays | $14 million | Team | $1 million |
| Joaquin Benoit | 38 |
Padres | $ 7.5 million | Team | $1.5 million |
| Clay Buchholz | 31 |
Red Sox | $13 million | Team | $245,000 |
| Wade Davis | 30 |
Royals | $8 million | Team | $1.5 million |
| R.A. Dickey | 41 |
Blue Jays | $12 million | Team | $1 million |
| Edwin Encarnacion | 33 |
Blue Jays | $10 million | Team | $2 million |
| Alcides Escobar | 29 |
Royals | $5.25 million | Team | $500,000 |
| Jaime Garcia | 29 |
Cardinals | $11.5 million | Team | $500,000 |
| J.P. Howell | 33 |
Dodgers | $6.25 million | Player | $250,000 |
| Adam Lind | 32 |
Brewers | $8 million | Team | $500,000 |
| Brendan Ryan | 34 | Yankees | $1 million | Player | None |
| Brad Ziegler | 36 | Diamondbacks | $5.5 million | Team | $1 million |
Options declined
| Player | Age | Team | Contract | Type | Buyout |
| Nori Aoki | 34 |
Giants | $5.5 million | Team | $700,000 |
| Bronson Arroyo | 39 | Dodgers | $13 million | Team | $4.5 million |
| Jonathan Broxton | 32 |
Cardinals | $9 million | Team | $1 million |
| Burke Badenhop | 32 | Reds | $4 million | Mutual | $1.5 million |
| Marlon Byrd | 38 |
Giants | $8 million | Team | None |
| David DeJesus | 36 | Angels | $5 million | Team | $1 million |
| Jonny Gomes | 35 |
Royals | $3 million | Team | None |
| Alex Gordon | 32 |
Royals | $12.5 million | Player | None |
| Jeremy Guthrie | 37 | Royals | $10 million | Mutual | $3.2 million |
| Maicer Izturis | 35 |
Blue Jays | $3 million | Team | $1 million |
| Casey Janssen | 34 | Nationals | $7 million | Mutual | $1.5 million |
| Cliff Lee | 37 | Phillies | $27.5 million | Team | $12.5 million |
| Nate McLouth | 33 | Nationals | $6.5 million | Team | $750,000 |
| Justin Morneau | 35 | Rockies | $9 million | Mutual | $750,000 |
| David Murphy | 34 |
Angels | $7 million | Team | $500,000 |
| Joe Nathan | 41 | Tigers | $10 million | Team | $1 million |
| Joel Peralta | 40 | Dodgers | $2.5 million | Team |
None |
| Chad Qualls | 37 | Astros | $3.25 million | Team | $250,000 |
| Ryan Raburn | 35 |
Indians | $3 million | Team | $100,000 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 34 |
White Sox | $10 million | Team | $1 million |
| Skip Schumaker | 36 | Reds | $2.5 million | Team | $250,000 |
Josh Collmenter's $ 1.85 million option was exercised by the Arizona Diamondbacks, although he would have still been arbitration eligible had the team declined his option.