What the accepted qualifying offers mean for the Mets' offseason

Four players around the league accepted the one-year $22.205 million qualifying offer to return to their teams on Tuesday.

Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game two of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Tuesday afternoon marked the deadline for MLB free agents to accept or decline the qualifying offer from their clubs.

Of the 13 players tendered the one-year, $22.205 million offer, four players accepted while the remaining nine declined and will remain free agents, allowing their former teams to receive draft pick compensation if they sign elsewhere.

Most notable for the New York Mets was the unsurprising decision by Edwin Diaz to decline his qualifying offer. The Mets still hope to re-sign the star closer to a long-term deal, but Diaz will now field offers from plenty of interested clubs and views it as a "50-50" chance that he is back in Queens next season.

Read More: Mets free agent Edwin Diaz makes a decision on qualifying offer

As New York now faces the consequential decisions of retaining Diaz and Pete Alonso, the club will also navigate an offseason impacted by the four players who accepted their qualifying offers.

Final accounting on qualifying offers, per sources:

Trent Grisham (Yankees), Gleyber Torres (Tigers), Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) and Shota Imanaga (Cubs) all accepted the one-year, $22.025 million contract to return for 2026.

The nine other players offered rejected the deal.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 18, 2025

Brandon Woodruff's decision could force a Freddy Peralta trade

In accepting the qualifying offer, Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff will be the highest-paid pitcher in a single season in Brewers' franchise history. For an organization that is known to trade away pitchers entering the final year of their contract, Woodruff's decision could prove signficant.

On Tuesday morning, MLB insider Jeff Passan predicted that if Woodruff returns to Milwaukee, fellow Brewers starter Freddy Peralta could become available. Passan later asserted that "executives with interest in acquiring Peralta believe it drastically increases the chances of him moving."

Passan: If Brandon Woodruff accepts the qualifying offer, it increases the chances of a Freddy Peralta trade.

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) November 18, 2025

If the Mets want to address their starting pitching need through a trade, Peralta is as good an option as any. There is an obvious link between the 29-year-old and David Stearns, who spent five years together in Milwaukee during Stearns' successful tenure as the Brewers general manager and president of baseball operations.

Read More: New York Mets likely to inquire on Freddy Peralta

Beyond just that, Peralta has become a dominant force and is coming off a career-best season where he led the league in wins (17) and posted a 2.70 ERA across 33 starts. The right-hander would help solve the Mets' most pressing need, immediately bolstering the rotation as a true frontline starter while playing on just an $8 million contract.

In an appearance on SNY's Baseball Night in New York, Will Sammon of The Athletic spoke highly of the potential acquisition for the Mets, but still called it a "50-50 shot" that the Brewers end up trading Peralta. Regardless, Stearns will almost certainly check in with his former team on what it would cost to land the starter.

On BNNY, @WillSammon discusses the possibility of the Brewers trading Freddy Peralta this offseason after Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer today:

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/lD7TMSxsfw

— SNY (@SNYtv) November 19, 2025

Cody Bellinger's availability with Trent Grisham's return to Yankees

With $22 million tied up in Trent Grisham for 2026, the Yankees may end up more limited with their outfield options than originally expected. While the big market club will certainly be among the league's top spenders yet again, Grisham's new salary puts the Yankees at $190.25 million for just seven players: Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Giancarlo Stanton, Grisham, and Ryan McMahon.

Read More: How the New York Mets could look to replace Pete Alonso

And with reports indicating that ownership wants to remain below $300 million in payroll, the Yankees will seemingly have to decide between signing top free agent Kyle Tucker or retaining Cody Bellinger. If they opt for the former, the Mets would immediately become a top candidate to sign Bellinger, who could fill the club's immediate need in center field while also figuring into a long-term role at first base.

Gleyber Torres and Shota Imanaga

The remaining two players to accept their qualifying offer are Gleyber Torres and Shota Imanaga. With Torres and Imanaga back with their respective clubs, both the Tigers and Cubs could take a different approach toward two positions of need for the Mets.

Both Detroit and New York have been linked to free agent infielder Alex Bregman, but with $22 million now due to one piece of their infield in Torres, the Tigers may be forced out of the Bregman sweepstakes. Similarly, the Cubs profiled as a top contender for many of the big-name free agent pitchers. While they could still add one, Imanaga's return to Chicago could benefit the Mets in their hunt for a starter.