This year’s qualifying offer will be set at $19.65MM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. This will set a new record for the QO, which generally trends upward from year to year. It hit $18.9MM two years ago before dropping for the first time last year, going down to $18.4MM.
The qualifying offer changes because it is an average of the salaries of the 125 highest-paid players in baseball. Naturally, as salaries increase with inflation and increased revenue in the game, the qualifying offer also goes up. Last year’s decline was likely a reflection of the pandemic, as canceled games and diminished attendance led to a decrease in expenditures from some clubs. It seems that the spending environment has broadly rebounded, however, as this year’s number is an increase over last year’s and also an improvement on the previous high.
More to come.