* In a few weeks, the Red Sox will have some decisions to make about their own seven free agents: should they extend a qualifying offer to any of them?
This year, the qualifying offer is set at an all-time high of $21.05 million, or, the average salary of the top 20 percent of players in 2024. If a prospective free agent accepts a qualifying offer, he is automatically bound to that team for the following year for the value of the offer. (That doesn’t preclude player and team from working out a longer deal). If a player rejects the offer, he’ll remain a free agent but come attached with compensation required from his new signing team.
