Hanley Ramirez rejects qualifying offer from Dodgers

Hanley Ramirez is widely regarded as the top position player on the free-agent market, so it came as no surprise Monday when the three-time all-star declined the qualifying offer he received from the Dodgers.

The offer was worth a one-year deal for $15.3 million, the average of the top 125 player salaries in baseball this year.

Because Ramirez turned down the offer, the Dodgers will receive a compensatory pick in the draft next year if he signs with another team by the start of the coming season. The selection would fall in a supplemental round between the first and second rounds of the draft.

The Dodgers can still re-sign Ramirez but probably would have to offer him a multiyear deal to do so. It’s unlikely the organization would make that kind of proposal, considering it is concerned about his medical history and defensive shortcomings.

Ramirez’s anticipated departure would leave the Dodgers with a vacancy at shortstop, where the top in-house candidates to start an opening day are the light-hitting Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena. Corey Seager is considered one of the top prospects in the sport but is just 20.