Sonny Gray is drawing interest as one of the top pitchers on the free agent market and he formally declined the Twins’ one-year, $20.325 million qualifying offer Tuesday.

It was the expected outcome after Gray was one of the seven free agents given a qualifying offer, a formality for the top free agents. Gray is testing free agency for the first time in his career and the expectation is he will command at least $20 million per year in a multiyear deal.

The Twins haven’t ruled out pursuing Gray in free agency, but they’re cutting payroll for the coming season and it’s difficult to see them atop a bidding war. The Twins will receive draft pick compensation if Gray signs elsewhere. If Gray’s contract totals more than $50 million, the Twins will receive a pick after the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, likely around No. 33 overall.

“He’s earned this right,” Derek Falvey, the Twins’ president of baseball operations, said last week. “He’s gotten here. I don’t think there is anything specific we could say about where we’re at with him. Just see how this shakes out.”

Gray, 34, is one of the three finalists for the American League Cy Young award, which will be announced Wednesday, though New York’s Gerrit Cole is a heavy favorite. Gray, who spent two seasons with the Twins, posted an 8-8 record and a 2.79 ERA over 184 innings this year.

Julien receives ROY votes

Twins second baseman Edouard Julien received two third-place votes for AL Rookie of the Year and he finished in seventh place in the voting. It’s the first time the Twins had a player earn rookie of the year votes since Luis Arraez tied for sixth place in 2019.