Craig Kimbrel is officially a free agent after rejecting the qualifying offer extended by the Boston Red Sox prior to Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
Teams have the option of extending a qualifying offer to their impending free agents within five days of the end of the World Series, as long as that player spent the entire season with the organization. The offer is a one-year deal worth an average of the league’s 125 highest paid players, which amounts to $17.9 million this year.
It’s no surprise that Kimbrel rejected the offer and this certainly doesn’t mean the flame-throwing closer isn’t interested in re-signing with the Red Sox.