NEW YORK -- The Mets could have as many as three extra Draft picks coming their way next summer, as free agents Jacob deGrom, Brandon Nimmo and Chris Bassitt all rejected the qualifying offers the team extended to them before Tuesday’s deadline.

None of the decisions came as a surprise, as deGrom, Nimmo and Bassitt were all widely expected to reject the offers in search of multi-year deals on the open market. Should any of those players sign elsewhere, the Mets will receive a compensatory pick -- up to three in total -- following the fourth round of the 2023 Draft.

The qualifying offer is a one-year deal worth the average salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players -- this year, $19.65 million. Teams could extend the QO to eligible players within five days of the conclusion of the World Series, and those players had until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to accept or reject.

Even though Mets officials knew that none of deGrom, Nimmo or Bassitt would accept their offers, extending them was necessary to ensure Draft-pick compensation.

The process, however, cuts both ways. Should the Mets sign a player who received a qualifying offer from another team -- Trea Turner or Carlos Rodón, for example -- they will lose their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 Draft, as well as $1 million from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. If the Mets sign multiple qualifying-offer free agents, they will forfeit their third- and sixth-highest remaining picks as well.

deGrom, 34, and Nimmo, 29, are two of the game’s most prominent free agents, making it obvious that they would receive and reject qualifying offers. Both figure to command multi-year, nine-figure deals on the open market. Bassitt, 33, recently declined his portion of a $19 million mutual option, so it made little sense for him to accept a $19.65 million qualifying offer instead. He should be able to find a multi-year deal with a higher total value, even if the average annual value is less.

So far this offseason, deGrom has been linked heavily to the Rangers, though the Mets remain highly interested in re-signing the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Nimmo should also have a robust market, as he is widely considered the second-best outfielder available behind Aaron Judge.