DETROIT -- When the Detroit Tigers extended a one-year, $22 million offer to veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres on Thursday, they had to be prepared for the possibility that he might do what very few players do: accept it.

But if Torres declines the qualifying offer and tests the market, the Tigers will be rooting for him to land a big payday.

If Torres signs elsewhere for less than $50 million overall, the Tigers would receive draft-pick compensation that would likely fall around No. 75 overall -- a nice bonus. But if he signs for $50 million or more, Detroit would get a compensatory pick right after the first round, roughly 31st or 32nd overall. That would be even better.

The draft-pick compensation formula is too convoluted to unpack here (

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