Report: Blue Jays to extend qualifying offers to Semien, Ray; leaving out Matz

Let the moves begin.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly extending qualifying offers to infielder Marcus Semien and starting pitcher Robbie Ray, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Both players have 10 days to respond to the offers, which represent a one-year commitment worth the mean salary of MLB's 125 highest-paid players — in this case, $18.4 million. Should they choose to decline them, the players will officially become free agents and the Blue Jays will be eligible to receive compensation draft picks in return if they sign with other teams.

Heyman adds that Toronto will not extend a qualifying offer to left-handed starter Steven Matz, who is also up for free agency.

Semien signed a one-year, $18-million deal with the Blue Jays last offseason and is on track to make a lot more than that next year. He finished the regular season with 45 home runs and 102 RBIs — good for a 7.2 WAR and a record-filled stat sheet.

On the mound, Ray transformed himself into a Cy Young candidate, going from the league leader in walks a year before to topping all of MLB in strikeouts per nine in 2021, when Toronto brought him back on a one-year, $8 million contract. The lefty finished with a 2.83 ERA in 193.1 innings pitched.

It's highly unlikely that either player will take the offer after the seasons they just had.

Matz, on the other hand, was on a $5.2-million contract and posted a 3.82 ERA with a 1.334 WHIP over 150.2 innings. Heyman reports he declined a multi-year deal from the Jays and is set to become a free agent.

With playoff hopes and expectations growing exponentially, the Blue Jays are likely to be active players in the offseason — something fans have gotten used to over the years following eye-catching acquisitions such as George Springer and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

The chips are just starting to fall.

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