With MLB free agency about to begin, the Los Angeles Dodgers have elected not to extend a qualifying offer to World Series hero Walker Buehler, The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reported.
While that may sound shocking considering Buehler's track record and 2024 postseason heroics, it may not ultimately mean much. A qualifying offer this season is worth $21.05 million, calculated as the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players in baseball. Players can receive a qualifying offer, which is for one year, if they are pending free agents, have never received one before, and spent the entire season with their current team.
Teams extend such offers, even though they're rarely accepted, in order to earn draft pick compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
The Dodgers deciding not to extend a qualifying offer to Buehler does not mean the 30-year-old's time in Los Angeles is over. The two sides could still work out a deal — one that would probably be multiple years, worth more than that $21.05 million in total.
Buehler appeared in 16 games in the 2024 regular season, pitching in the majors for the first time in two years. His regular season was interrupted, however, by a hip injury. that kept him sidelined from mid-June to mid-August.
Buehler put up a 5.38 ERA in the regular season, but Dodgers fans will remember him for his performance in the World Series. He earned the win in Game 3 on the road against the New York Yankees, firing five scoreless innings. Two days later, he finished the clinching game, throwing a scoreless ninth in Game 5.
Dodgers extend qualifying offer to Tesocar Hernandez
Though Los Angeles did not extend Buehler a qualifying offer, it did for Teoscar Hernandez. The outfielder will almost certainly turn the offer down after he enjoyed a career-best 33-home run season.
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At 31 years old, Hernandez made his second All-Star team in 2024, winning the Home Run Derby and lighting the Yankees up in the World Series (.350 BA, .931 OPS). Now with four consecutive seasons of at least 25 home runs, Hernandez has made his case for the multi-year deal he failed to land last offseason. Spotrac projects him to be worth three years and $23.8 million per season, highlighting exactly why most players don't accept those qualifying offers.
Similar to Buehler, the Dodgers will remain in play for Hernandez anyway. The slugger even told reporters last week at the Dodgers' victory parade that he will “do everything in [his] power to come back.”
The Dodgers have every reason to want him back as well, since his absence would leave a massive hole in the lineup and the outfield. They're expected to pursue Juan Soto in free agency, but competition for the Yankees outfielder will be fierce. Bringing Hernandez back could be some good insurance in case they fail.
