They didn’t receive much on the field, but the White Sox are still hoping to get some value from Jeff Samardzija.
The White Sox extended a qualifying offer to the pitcher on Friday, which ensures they would receive a compensatory draft pick were he to sign with another team after free agency kicks off at 11:01 p.m. CST.
[RELATED - White Sox decline 2016 option on Alexei Ramirez]
Samardzija — who went 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA for the White Sox — has until next Friday to accept the club’s one-year, $15.8-million offer. However, the right-hander is expected to decline, as he should receive considerable interest on the open market this offseason.
The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cubs are believed to be among a number of parties interested in Samardzija, who was acquired by the White Sox from the Oakland A’s last December in exchange for four players.
Samardzija never quite lived up to the hype as he pitched for the team for which he grew up rooting. The Northwest Indiana native allowed five earned runs in an Opening Day loss to Kansas City, one of 11 starts in which he yielded at least as many earned runs.
While Samardzija was fantastic in five July starts leading up to the trade deadline, he failed miserably after the White Sox opted to hang on to him. Samardzija lost six straight starts after July 31 and eight of nine overall, including a disastrous effort Sept. 15 in which he gave up 10 earned runs and 11 hits in three innings.
MLB
[NBC SHOP: Gear up, White Sox fans!]
Still, teams are expected to line up for the Notre Dame product, who has low mileage on his arm despite the fact he’ll be 31 on Opening Day 2016. Samardzija only has 1,501 innings pitched as a pro pitcher, including 991 2/3 in the majors.
No player ever has accepted a qualifying offer. The White Sox would receive a compensatory pick after the first round if Samardzija signs elsewhere as expected.