Free-agent history: 3 players accept $15.8M deals

A one-year, $15.8-million contract was enough to compel Colby Rasmus, Matt Wieters, and Brett Anderson not to hit the open market, but the other 17 players who received a qualifying offer either rejected the deal, or worked out a different agreement ahead of Friday's deadline.

Rasmus, who smashed a career-high 25 homers for the Houston Astros this season, nearly doubled his 2015 salary by accepting the deal, while Anderson, the oft-injured left-hander, effectively received a $5.8-million raise from the Los Angeles Dodgers by foregoing free agency.

Wieters' decision to accept the qualifying offer was a bit surprising, however, as the three-time All-Star was poised to highlight a thin crop of free-agent catchers despite playing just 75 games this season following his return from Tommy John surgery.

"My wife and son, they both love Baltimore," Wieters said. "... We decided to take a little bit of a different approach as far as not taking a multi-year deal."

Like Wieters, Anderson, and Rasmus, veteran right-hander Marco Estrada will be back with the same team next season, albeit under different circumstances. The 32-year-old finalized a two-year, $26-million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, landing a multi-year contract after crafting a career-best 3.13 ERA (126 ERA+), with a 1.04 WHIP over 28 starts, and six relief appearances in 2015.

The remaining 16 players will hit the open market, then, with draft-pick compensation attached to them. Any team that signs a qualified free agent forfeits its top unprotected pick in the 2016 draft, while any club that loses a qualified player to free agency will receive a compensation pick between the first and second rounds (tentatively picks No. 31-46).

*Picks are protected and cannot be forfeited by signing a qualified free agent