SEATTLE -- The Mariners extended a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer to free-agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma on Friday, and the right-hander has seven days to accept or decline the deal.
None of the 34 Major League players who've been extended qualifying offers in the previous three seasons have accepted the deal, instead electing to become free agents and attempting to negotiate multiyear contracts.
Qualifying offers have only been in place since MLB's current Collective Bargaining Agreement began in 2013. Seattle's only previous qualifying offer was to Kendrys Morales in 2014.
Iwakuma has been one of the American League's best right-handed starters over the past four years, posting a 47-25 record and a 3.