Overview
- Trent Grisham (Yankees), Shota Imanaga (Cubs), Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) and Gleyber Torres (Tigers) accepted one-year qualifying offers worth $22.025 million, the most acceptances in a single offseason.
- Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Kyle Schwarber, Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen and Michael King declined and remain free agents with compensation attached if they sign elsewhere before July’s draft.
- Players can receive a qualifying offer only once, and those who accepted can re-enter free agency next winter without draft-pick penalties attached to their market.
- Teams finalized 40-man rosters to protect Rule 5–eligible prospects, a parallel deadline that forced clubs to balance prospect retention with offseason roster flexibility.
- The Mets designated injured right-hander Frankie Montas for assignment with $17 million still owed and selected outfielder Nick Morabito to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.