Trent Grisham and Gleyber Torres among four free agents to accept Qualifying Offer

For Royals fans looking for a roster upgrade, there are already two options available.

Free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres of the Tigers and outfielder Trent Grisham of the Yankees both accepted one-year qualifying offers to remain with their respective teams. Pitchers Shota Imanaga of the Cubs and Brandon Woodruff of the Brewers also agreed. Each player will receive a salary of $22.025 million, the average of the 125 highest-paid players, or can enter into a new deal with their respective club.

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Torres was a free agent last year, but found a weak market and signed with the Tigers on a one-year deal. He had a great first half and earned an All-Star nod, but slumped in the second half and finished at .256/.358/.387 with 16 homers and 2.9 rWAR. The Tigers also have Jace Jung, Zach McKinstry, Javier Baez and Colt Keith in their infield.

Grisham had a career year at the plate this year, but an inconsistent track record before this year. He hit .235/.348/.464 with a career-high 34 homers, and, interestingly, he hit much better away from Yankee Stadium with 21 homers on the road. He struggles against southpaws, but is only 29 and is a solid defender.

Imanaga had a 3.73 ERA in 25 starts this year, a regression from his impressive rookie numbers in 2024. The Cubs declined a three-year club option that would have paid him $57 million, and he declined a $15 million player option. Instead, the 32-year-old left-hander will return to the Cubs as part of the qualifying offer.

Woodruff is a two-time All-Star who has been limited to just 23 starts over the past three years due to injury. He had a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts this year, missing time with shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old gives the Brewers significant upside on a short-term deal, and he can better establish his value for next offseason.

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Nine other players rejected a qualifying offer and will become free agents: Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen, Michael King, Ranger Suárez, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez. Any team that drafts one of these players will have to forgo draft compensation, depending on their status as a competitive balance tax payer or revenue sharing recipient. The Royals benefit from revenue sharing, so they would have to give up their third draft pick next summer, which is equivalent to a second-round pick.

Since the implementation of the qualifying offer system in 2012, 144 players have received an offer and only 18 have accepted. The four free agents this offseason are the most to accept in a year, eclipsing the three who agreed in 2015 (Brett Anderson, Colby Rasmus, Matt Wieters)