Rasmus being first to accept qualifying offer is so... Rasmus
Leave it to Colby Rasmus to be the first to go against the grain when it comes to qualifying offers.
Since the start of the practice after the last collective bargaining agreement, not one free agent has accepted a qualifying offering in three years -- until Rasmus accepted the Houston Astros' one-year, $15.8 million offer. Had he rejected the offer, the Astros would have received a draft pick as compensation.
The outspoken Rasmus, who walks often to the beat of a different drum, earned $8 million on a one-year deal in 2015 with Houston. Typically, qualifying offers make little sense for free agents to accept, but in Rasmus' case, this could have been the best move for him as he faced a competitive free agent market for outfielders. While Rasmus finished the season on a very strong note, his first half of the season was spent in mostly a platoon situation.
While the Astros miss out on obtaining an extra draft pick with Rasmus accepting the deal, the team isn't upset about the outfielder's decision to sign the deal.
Instead of hoping for a prospect to blossom into an everyday player, Houston is getting a sure-thing, at least for one more season, with Rasmus as he will join Carlos Gomez and George Springer as starters in the Astros' outfield.
General manager Jeff Lunhow, who drafted Rasmus in the first round while he was scouting director for the St. Louis Cardinals, stated Monday his hope that the outfielder would accept the offer and return for another season.
Rasmus' free agency stock rose significantly as he was a major factor in the Astros' postseason run hitting six homers, batting .412 in six games. He hit .238, hitting a career-high 25 home runs in 137 regular season games in 2015.
