ST. LOUIS — Marcell Ozuna has rejected the Cardinals' qualifying offer of $17.8 million for 2020.
Players had until 4 p.m. to accept or reject the offer from their former club. Ozuna was one of seven players to decline the one-year offer.
Madison Bumgarner, Josh Donaldson, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Zach Wheeler were the others who chose to decline.
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Twins starter and Highland, Illinois native Jake Odorizzi accepted their team's deals.
Giants reliever Will Smith also declined his former team's offer and has already signed with the Atlanta Braves.
Ozuna can still sign a deal with the Cardinals, but if he chooses to leave for another organization, St. Louis will receive a compensatory draft pick.
In two years in St. Louis, Ozuna tallied 52 home runs and 177 RBI while batting .262 with an OPS of .777.
Ozuna got his first taste of the playoffs in 2019, and showed up big time in the first round against the Braves, where he hit .429 and drove in five runs in the five game NLDS.
