The Yankees extended qualifying offers to Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher and Hiroki Kuroda, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The players now have one week to accept or decline the offers.
Soriano and Swisher are expected to decline the offers, but Kuroda could accept — he has indicated he’d be content to sign a one-year deal. If he accepts he’d earn $13.3MM on a one-year deal in 2013. If he declines, he’ll be linked to draft pick compensation in free agency — his new team will have to surrender a top selection to sign him.
The three Yankees figure prominently on MLBTR’s top 50 free agent list. Swisher ranks sixth, Kuroda ranks ninth and Soriano ranks 17th.
dc21892
Is there going to be a list of players who obtain qualifying offers?
Lagal
Kuroda deserves another season in NY, as well as Ichiro.
Swisher’s production will be hard to replace, though Soriano is highly repleaceable if Rivera comes back, and even if Mo doesn’t comeback, I don’t like closers who 70% of their outings put runners on base, like MFIKY.
DerekJeterDan
Worst case scenario, the Yankees are loaded for next years draft. No complaints there. We could use the infusion of youth down the line.
dc21892
Doesn’t guarantee a successful draft though. Just saying.
levendis
judging by this teams recent track record they’ll keep the bumbbbs and trade away the stars (Austin Jackson and Montero)
Jason Richards
Montero was awful last season, very far from a star.
dc21892
Well you can’t knock them for either of those deals. Jackson was far from a soon to be proven major leaguer and Granderson has done well for NY. Montero was traded for an extremely high upside arm and that was kinda an unfortunate situation with Pineadas shoulder injury.
chris german
Meanwhile, think of all the homegrown players that they have developed and kept in recent years- Hughes, Nova, Gardner, Cano, Chamberlain, Robertson, Nunez, Phelps… We still have Mason Williams, Tyler Austin, Cito Culver, Slade Heathcott, Dante Bichette, and Gary Sanchez too. Some of these guys definitely have star potential and Cano already is.
LazerTown
They have found a decent enough talent, that one of these guys should turn into a decent player.
chris german
No, but the Yankees have done VERY well in recent drafts, especially considering they always have a low pick. Their farm system is always highly rated. I’m confident that Cash and Stick can put together a good draft.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Wow what a difference on MLB TR, much more congenial on here than SI’s rumors.
He got skewered on there. As for me I want Swisher and I want him to play 1st base for the Orioles.
LazerTown
Swish really struggled in the postseason, but he is still an above average regular season hitter, and is consistent year to year. Too many people freak out about bad postseason hitting from good hitters, when in reality without those hitters they struggle to even make the postseason.
SierraM363
I think the Red Sox have a protected pick and could sign Kuroda without giving up their first.
SEWill29
just to clarify, if a player declines the qualifying offer, they can still resign with their team, whether it be for one year or a multi-year deal, right?
lefty177
Yes
Michael Cooper
Swisher can be replaced by anyone who can act like a clown and strike out!