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Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger among 7 to get qualifying offers as 168 free agents hit the market
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FILE - Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani walks in the dugout during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Anaheim, Calif., Sept. 16, 2023. Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola were among the 130 players who became free agents Thursday, Nov. 2, as baseball's business season began the day following the Texas Rangers' first World Series title. Max Muncy, Joe Jiménez and Colin Rea gave up a chance to go free and agreed to new contracts with their teams. - photo by AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File
NEW YORK (AP) — Two-way star Shohei Ohtani was among seven players who received $20,325,000 qualifying offers from their former teams Monday as the free agent market opened for 168 players. All seven players are likely to turn down the offers by the Nov. 14 deadline to accept in favor of multiyear contracts on the open market. In addition to the Los Angeles Angels' offer to Ohtani, the others to receive qualifying offers were outfielder Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), pitchers Josh Hader and Blake Snell (San Diego), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia), Sonny Gray (Minnesota) and third baseman Matt Chapman (Toronto).