The New York Mets made a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer Friday to postseason standout Daniel Murphy.
Murphy has until Nov. 13 to decide, but no free agent has accepted a qualifying offer over the past three winters. If he declines, the Mets will receive a compensatory draft pick.
Murphy stood out in New York’s stunning ride to the 2015 World Series and set a major league record by hitting homers in six consecutive postseason games. He was named MVP of the National League Championship Series when the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs.
The World Series didn’t go as well for the 30-year-old second baseman. Murphy committed two costly errors and batted just .150 with no homers as the Mets lost in five games to the Kansas City Royals.
Murphy batted .281 with 14 homers and 73 RBIs during the regular season.
—The Cubs extended a $15.8 million qualifying offer to outfielder Dexter Fowler.
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer told ESPN.com he has not given up on re-signing Fowler.
“We plan on talking with (agent) Casey Close,” Hoyer said Friday. “We had a great year with Dexter. He was a catalyst for our offense all year.”
Fowler hit .250 with a career-high 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 2015.
—The St. Louis Cardinals made qualifying offers to outfielder Jason Heyward and right-hander John Lackey on Friday.
Both free agents have the option of remaining with the Cardinals on a one-year, $15.8 million contract for 2016.
Heyward, 26, led the Cardinals with a .293 batting average, while hitting 13 home runs with 60 RBIs. He posted career highs in hits (160), doubles (33) and a team-leading 23 stolen bases.
Lackey, 37, tied his career-best with 33 starts in 2015 while posting a 13-10 record with a 2.77 ERA. The 13-year major league veteran ranked among National League pitching leaders in wins (13, tied for 12th), earned run average (2.77, seventh), innings pitched (218, sixth) and quality starts (26, fourth).
—The Toronto Blue Jays extended a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer to right-hander Marco Estrada.
Estrada emerged as a solid starter in 2015 for a Toronto club that reached the American League Championship Series. He went 12-8 and ranked fifth in the AL with a 3.13 ERA and also experienced a strong postseason.
—The Chicago White Sox made a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer to right-hander Jeff Samardzija.
Samardzija was acquired from the Oakland Athletics following the 2014 season and it was hoped he would form a formidable 1-2 punch with All-Star left-hander Chris Sale. But Samardzija went just 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA in 32 starts.
—The San Diego Padres made qualifying offers to outfielder Justin Upton and right-hander Ian Kennedy.
Upton is expected to decline the one-year, $15.8 million offer as he is looking for a big-money deal on the free agent market. He reportedly made $14.25 million with the Padres in 2015.
Upton batted .251 with 26 homers and 81 RBIs in 2015. He has 190 career homers in eight-plus seasons.
Kennedy made $9.85 million while going 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA. He has a 75-68 career mark to go with a 3.98 ERA.
—The Houston Astros extended a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer to outfielder Colby Ramsus.
Ramsus hit a career-high 25 homers during the 2015 season. He stepped it up in the postseason with four more homers while going 7-for-12.
—New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia had no choice other than to seek treatment for alcoholism before the end of the season, the left-hander said in a interview with ABC News that aired Friday.
Sabathia announced in early October before the Yankees’ American League wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Astros that he was leaving the team to enter a treatment facility. His one-month stay at a Connecticut rehab center ended last Friday.
“I know it was a bad time of the season, but there was no other option for me but to get help,” Sabathia told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “And I understand where, you know, fans would be upset and people don’t understand, but it’s a disease. And if it was my knee or it was anything else, then people wouldn’t have a problem with it, but, you know, it being alcoholism, it’s tough for people to swallow. But it’s the same thing.”
The 35-year-old left-hander struggled with a chronic knee injury during the season and finished with a 6-10 record and a 4.73 ERA.
—The Seattle Mariners and Rays pulled off the first noteworthy trade of the offseason as they completed a six-player deal Thursday that sent infielder/outfielder Brad Miller, first baseman Logan Morrison and pitcher Danny Farquhar to Tampa Bay in exchange for pitchers Nathan Karns and C.J. Riefenhauser and minor league outfielder Boog Powell.
New Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and new manager Scott Servais began the process of making over the roster, trading away three players who got significant playing time in 2015.
The Mariners’ key acquisition is Karns, who was 7-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 27 games, including 26 starts, this season as rookie. His season ended in early September because of forearm tightness.
—The Mariners claimed outfielder Dan Robertson off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels.
The Mariners also outrighted right-hander JC Ramirez to Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners’ 40-man roster remains at 37.