Tucker, Bichette, Schwarber among 13 to get $22 million qualifying offers from former teams

NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker, Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette and Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber were among 13 players who received $22,025,000 qualifying offers from their former teams Thursday as baseball's free agent market opened for negotiations with all clubs.

San Diego right-handers Dylan Cease and Michael King also received the offers, as did New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz, Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, Philadelphia pitcher Ranger Suárez, Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres, Houston left-hander Framber Valdez and Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Players have until Nov. 18 to accept.

Among the free agents who didn't receive qualifying offers were Boston right-hander Lucas Giolito, Seattle infielder Jorge Polanco and Yankees reliever Devin Williams.

If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another club before next July's amateur draft, his former club receives draft pick compensation at the end of the first round or at the end of competitive balance round B. The placement depends on the amount of the new contract and the revenue-sharing and luxury tax status of the team losing the player.

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 14 of 144 offers have been accepted.

A free agent can be given a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously since opening day and has never received a qualifying offer before.

Free agents ineligible for qualifying offers included New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, Boston third baseman Alex Bregman, Cincinnati pitcher Nick Martinez and Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.

A total of 175 players became free agents in the five days following the World Series.

Among decisions Thursday:

— Atlanta exercised an $18 million option on left-hander Chris Sale and a $7 million option on second baseman Ozzie Albies while declining options on pitchers Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley;

—The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers exercised a $10 million option on third baseman Max Muncy and a $3.55 million option on reliever Alex Vesia;

— Polanco declined a $6 million player option;

— Infielder Justin Turner became a free agent after the Cubs declined a $10 million mutual option, and Chicago agreed to a $6.5 million, one-year contract to retain right-hander Colin Rea;

—Pitchers Paul Sewald and José Urquidy became free agents after the Detroit Tigers declined options;

— Shortstop Trevor Story declined to exercise his right to opt out of his contract, keeping $55 million in salary for the final two seasons of his $140 million, six-year deal with Boston;

— Left-hander John Means’ $6 million option was declined by Cleveland, allowing the pitcher to become a free agent as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery;

— Tampa Bay declined an $11 million option on Pete Fairbanks, allowing the closer to become a free agent, and exercised an $11.5 million option on infielder Brandon Lowe.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette swings for a three run home run off Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani during the third inning in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 25 people, including tourists, were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, the state’s chief minister said Sunday.

The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered.

The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, eyewitnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where tourists were dancing. It said at least 100 people were on the dance floor when the fire broke out and several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff.

Fatima Shaikh, an eyewitness, said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

The nightclub, located along the Arpora river backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the fire brigades to park their tankers about 400 meters away, the news agency said. The restricted access delayed firefighting efforts, it reported, citing local officials.

Sawant, the state's top elected official who called it an “unfortunate incident during peak tourist season,” said the club had violated fire safety norms. The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire and determine responsibility, he said, adding that the government would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite these violations.

Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club as it had no construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.

Regulations are poorly enforced in India where some public sector officials and builders cut corners, leading to safety hazards.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the incident deeply saddening and said he spoke with Sawant about the situation. He said the state government “is providing all possible assistance to those affected” while offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)