HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- The Astros will recieve draft compensation if George Springer elects to leave the team vie free agency after extending the 2017 World Series MVP the one year, $18.9 million qualifying offer prior to Sunday's deadline.
Springer, who declared free agency on Wednesday morning, is expected to decline the Astros offer, but if he signs with another team on the free agent market the Astros would recieve a pick between the second and third rounds of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.
For the second straight year the Astros will not pick in the first or second rounds of the draft as part of the punishment handed down by Major League Baseball for their sign stealing scandal, so the compensation pick for Springer would be their first selection, as was the case with Alex Santos, the 72nd pick of the 2020 draft, which was compensation for losing Gerrit Cole.
The dollar amount of the qualifying offer is based on the average of the top 125 individual contracts from the previous season. Only eight player is MLB history have accepted it, including Colby Rasmus with the Astros in 2015.
The Astros declined to make a qualifying offer to their other free agents, including Michael Brantley. Josh Reddick and Brad Peacock are their other free agents. They also announced Sunday they have exercised the option on Brooks Raley's contract, which is worth $2 million.
