Springer gets offer; none for Brantley
In what amounted to little more than a formality, the Astros on Sunday gave George Springer a one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer, which he undoubtedly will decline by the Nov. 11 deadline.
More curiously, the Astros did not extend Michael Brantley the same offer, perhaps indicating the uneasiness with which teams will approach an uncertain offseason clouded by economic uncertainty.
Teams may extend qualifying offers to departing free agents who’ve never before received one and spent the entire previ
ous season with the same team. The dollar amount is determined by the average of baseball’s 125 highest salaries.
If Springer declines the Astros’ qualifying offer and signs elsewhere, Houston will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round of the 2021 draft. Since the Astros are without a first- or second-round pick as punishment for their sign-stealing scandal, an argument could have been made to extend Brantley a qualifying offer for compensation in case he departs.
Only eight players have ever accepted a qualifying offer since they were introduced in 2012. Dallas Keuchel declined one from the Astros in 2018. Gerrit Cole did last year. Former Houston outfielder Colby Rasmus took one worth $15.8 million for the 2016 season. He responded by posting a .641 OPS in 417 plate appearances, underscoring the uncertainty some teams have in approaching the process.
At age 33, Brantley has given zero indication he would follow the same path as Rasmus. He had an .867 OPS in two seasons with the Astros and a team-leading .300 batting average last season. In a lineup riddled with inconsistency, Brantley stood out as the one constant. Sunday’s decision does not mean the Astros are precluded from pursuing a reunion with him. General manager James Click’s foremost offseason task is rebuilding the outfield, which also is losing Josh Reddick to free agency.
In Brantley’s case, the economic direction of the sport might have influenced the Astros’ decision more than anything. Brantley played the last two seasons on a two-year, $32 million deal. Houston had to consider a scenario in which Brantley accepted the qualifying offer. Is heworth $18.9 million in an uncertain baseball economy?
Brantley has a pronounced injury history, though his time in Houston included only one brief stint on the injured list. It came last season, but the aftereffects lingered. Brantley played only 19 of his 48 games in the outfield. With designated hitter Yordan Alvarez returning in 2021, Brantley would ostensibly be relied upon to play every day in the Astros’ outfield. Durability concerns are obvious.
Only six free agents received qualifying offers Sunday: Springer, Reds righthander Trevor Bauer, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Giants righty Kevin Gausman, Mets righty Marcus Stroman and Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu. Realmuto, Bauer and Springer are widely considered the three best available free agents, and each will almost certainly decline his team’s qualifying offer.
Springer evaded almost all questions about his future during the 60- game season, reiterating only that he’d “cross that bridge when I get to it.”
Asked multiple times whether he’d like to return to Houston, Springer deflected and maintained his focus was “on the present.” Springer has played his entire six-year career with the Astros, earning three All-Star appearances, two Silver Sluggers and a World Series MVP honor in 2017. His 19 postseason home runs are the most in franchise history.