The Tigers didn’t have any free agents who warranted a qualifying offer last week — sorry to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Erick Aybar and Casey McGehee — but the system still could have an impact on the Tigers’ dealings this winter. The reason became apparent today, when Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson accepted his qualifying offer from the Phillies.
Hellickson gets a one-year, $17.2 million contract next season rather than hitting the open market. After indications suggested he was going to turn it down, the 29-year-old right-hander instead accepted just before Monday’s deadline. One reason, according to reports, was that teams were indicating to agent Scott Boras that they would be reluctant to give up a first-round pick to sign him, thus limiting his market.