Grisham, Torres, Imanaga and Woodruff Accept Qualifying Offers

The MLB offseason just took a wild turn. Four big-name players — Trent Grisham, Gleyber Torres, Brandon Woodruff, and Shota Imanaga — all decided to accept qualifying offers from their teams.

This locks each of them in for the 2026 season at a guaranteed $22.025 million salary. That’s a hefty sum, especially as pro baseball’s economic landscape keeps shifting.

These choices, paired with a bunch of rejections from other stars, say a lot about how players are thinking about contracts and risk. The looming uncertainty with the next collective bargaining agreement is definitely a factor.

Understanding the Qualifying Offer Decision

If you’re not familiar, here’s the gist: The qualifying offer lets MLB teams keep top players by offering a one-year deal based on the average of the league’s biggest contracts.

If a player says no, the team can snag draft-pick compensation if he signs with someone else. Since this system started in 2012, almost everyone has turned it down — only 14 of 144 eligible players had accepted before this year. Now, with these latest moves, it’s 18 of 157.

Why Players Chose Security Over Open Market

Players usually decline if they think they’ll score a huge multi-year contract. But sometimes, taking the offer is just a smarter move for short-term financial security.

All four guys looked at their own situations and the MLB’s shaky financial future. With the collective bargaining agreement expiring soon, guaranteed money feels a lot safer than gambling on free agency.

Player-by-Player Breakdown

Each of these four players had their own reasons for saying yes.

Trent Grisham — Yankees

Grisham’s 2025 season was a shocker. He hit .235, smashed 34 home runs, and posted an .811 OPS, earning a fat $17 million raise.

He became a real weapon for the Yankees. By accepting the offer, he’s betting on himself to keep that momentum going for another year.

Gleyber Torres — Tigers

Torres made $15 million last year and hit .256 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs in his first Detroit season.

He’s just 28 years old, probably entering his prime. But the security of a big one-year deal just seemed smarter than risking a cold free agent market.

Brandon Woodruff — Brewers

Woodruff came back from a shoulder injury and pitched 12 games. Then a lat problem kept him out of the postseason.

He’s 32 and there are questions about his durability. Taking the qualifying offer gives him a shot to prove he’s healthy before chasing a longer deal.

Shota Imanaga — Cubs

Imanaga, also 32, went 9–8 with a 3.73 ERA in 2025. His numbers slipped late in the season, though.

Now he’s got a guaranteed payday and a chance to bounce back. The Cubs still see him as a key piece of their rotation.

Star Players Who Declined the Offer

On the flip side, nine players turned down the qualifying offer to chase multi-year deals. Here’s the list:

• Kyle Schwarber
• Ranger Suárez
• Kyle Tucker
• Framber Valdez
• Bo Bichette
• Dylan Cease
• Michael King
• Edwin Díaz
• Zac Gallen

Draft-Pick Ramifications

By saying no, these stars set up their teams to get draft-pick compensation if they sign somewhere else.

That’s a big deal in free agency, since signing one of these players can cost teams valuable draft picks. It adds another layer to negotiations, honestly.

Economic Uncertainty Driving Caution

Even top performers might pick short-term deals just to ride out a shaky market. For fans, this means familiar faces stick around a bit longer.

The league seems to be playing it safe, adapting to economic shifts that nobody can quite pin down yet. Will these one-year agreements turn into big, long-term deals later?

It really hangs on how each player performs and stays healthy in 2026. For now, the baseball world’s just watching—curious if this odd wave of qualifying offer acceptances is a fluke or the start of a new trend in MLB roster moves.

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