Fansided · Nov 4, 2019
Astros give star pitcher Gerrit Cole a qualifying offer
The Houston Astros have sent the qualifying offer to Gerrit Cole and his agent this afternoon on the last day eligible to do so.
Free Agent Gerrit Cole got the expected $17.8 million qualifying offer from the front office of the Houston Astros. This is basically a mere formality that safeguards the Astros the eligible compensatory draft pick if he happens to sign elsewhere.
The $17.8 figure is pretty much an amount set by the rules agreed upon in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The “qualifying offer” is a set number that is the average of the top paid 125 players in the Major Leagues.