Jeremy Hellickson and Neil Walker each decided to stay put:

Mets second baseman Neil Walker and Philadelphia pitcher Jeremy Hellickson have accepted $17.2 million qualifying offers, giving up free agency to stay with their teams.

Eight other free agents did not accept the offers from their former teams by Monday’s 5 p.m. EST deadline: outfielders Jose Bautista (Toronto), Yoenis Cespedes (Mets), Ian Desmond (Texas), Dexter Fowler (Chicago Cubs) and Mark Trumbo (Baltimore), designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto); closer Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers); and third baseman Justin Turner (Dodgers).

Hellickson pitched very well for the Phillies, and might have earned more in the free agent market. It was an outlier compared to the rest of his career, however, so if he can post another three WAR season in 2017, he’ll collect a better pay day in 2018.

I’m not quite sure what Walker was thinking. He looks like a solid three-WAR player to me, and that should net him about $24 million a year. Even with draft-pick compensation, he probably would have done better than the QO. Maybe he just likes playing for the Mets, or he thinks the QO will disappear next season with a new CBA.