Matt Chapman to test free agency after declining Blue Jays' $20M US qualifying offer

Matt Chapman has declined the Toronto Blue Jays' qualifying offer and remains a free agent. The third baseman was one of seven players who turned down $20.325 million US qualifying offers from their former teams Tuesday.

Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger also turn down Angels and Cubs, respectively

The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 15, 2023 10:05 AM EST | Last Updated: November 15, 2023

Blue Jays third baseman extends his right arm to throw the ball to first base. — Matt Chapman was among seven players across Major League Baseball to turn down a $20.325 million US qualifying offer on Tuesday. The Blue Jays would receive an additional selection in the league draft next summer if the third baseman signs elsewhere. (David Berding/Getty Images)

Third baseman Matt Chapman has declined the Toronto Blue Jays' qualifying offer and remains a free agent.

Chapman was one of seven players who turned down $20.325 million US qualifying offers from their former teams Tuesday.

The Jays extended the offer on Nov. 6. Chapman had until Tuesday to accept it.

Toronto will receive an additional selection in next year's Major League Baseball draft in compensation if Chapman signs elsewhere.

Chapman signed a two-year, $25-million contract with Toronto before the 2022 season after spending his first five Major League Baseball seasons in Oakland.

PLAYER STATS: Matt Chapman

He hit .234 with 44 home runs and 130 runs batted in over two seasons with the Jays and was named a Gold Glove Award winner this season.

Teams making offer likely to get extra draft pick

Shohei Ohtani also was among the seven players to turn down qualifying offers from their former teams, electing to pursue more lucrative contracts.

Besides the hitting and pitching star, along with Matt Chapman, outfielder Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs); pitchers Josh Hader and Blake Snell (San Diego), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia) and Sonny Gray (Minnesota) declined.

By making a qualifying offer — calculated as the average of the top 125 contracts by average annual value — a team would receive an additional selection in next July's amateur draft if a player signs elsewhere before then. A team signing the player could lose one or two draft picks.

Blue Jays tie for MLB lead with 3 Gold Glove Award recipients

DeMarlo Hale, ex-Blue Jays bench coach, returns in associate manager role

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 10 of 131 offers have been accepted.

Ohtani heads a free-agent class that also includes starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery, along with Nola, Snell, Gray and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is not attached to draft-pick compensation.

The 29-year-old Ohtani is coming off one of the best two-way seasons in major league history, batting .304 with 44 homers while going 10-5 as a starting pitcher with a 3.14 earned-run average.

However, he had his second Tommy John surgery in September and is not expected to pitch again until 2025.

With files from The Associated Press

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC Sports

Corrections and clarifications|