The Padres extended qualifying offers to outfielder Justin Upton and right-hander Ian Kennedy on Friday, securing at least one extra pick in next summer’s draft.

While Upton almost certainly will decline and land a lucrative multi-year deal, the Padres anticipate Kennedy also will test free agency.

Both players have until Nov. 13 to either accept or reject the qualifying offer, the equivalent of a one-year, $15.8 million contract. If a player rejects the offer and signs elsewhere, his former team receives a compensatory draft pick after the first round next June. To date, no one has ever accepted.

Upton, a rare power hitter at age 28, rated as an obvious decision. The club held more internal discussions about what to do with Kennedy, who will turn 31 next month and join the second tier of available starting pitchers.


Represented by super-agent Scott Boras, Kennedy will seek a multi-year deal, though the qualifying offer could pose an obstacle. Teams have been reluctant to surrender the draft pick necessary to sign a player who received a qualifying offer.

Kennedy is unlikely to find a deal that will pay him anywhere close to $15.8 million per season, but the father of four could be after more lasting security.

Could his best option end up being a return to San Diego?

It’s not unprecedented for a player to reject a qualifying offer, gauge his market value and later work out a deal with his former team. Publicly, Kennedy and General Manager A.J. Preller have left the door open to such a scenario.


“Obviously, I’d consider it,” Kennedy, a southern California native, said last month. “It also depends on if A.J. wants me back and what happens with the coaching staff and players.”

The Padres recently hired a new manager, Andy Green, who was managing in Arizona’s minor league system when Kennedy pitched for the Diamondbacks. San Diego pitching coach Darren Balsley, who is highly regarded by Kennedy, will return in 2016. A winning environment, Kennedy has said, will be a priority.

Still, the offseason is young.

“You never know what your opportunities are,” Kennedy said early this year. “That’s what free agency’s for. You get to go explore that.”