Indianapolis, IN -- (Sports Network) - Monday's midnight deadline for free agents to accept salary arbitration offers has come and gone with only three of the original list of 23 eligible players agreeing to remain with their respective clubs through at least next season.

Among those players that rejected arbitration include some of the league's most sought-after free agents; pitchers John Lackey, Jason Marquis and Jose Valverde, outfielders Jason Bay and Matt Holliday and third basemen Chone Figgins, Mark DeRosa and Adrian Beltre.

Other players declining arbitration included pitchers Joel Pineiro, Justin Duchscherer, Brandon Lyon, Fernando Rodney, Mike Gonzalez and Brian Shouse, outfielder Marlon Byrd and catchers Ivan Rodriguez and Rod Barajas.

The declining players' former clubs can continue to negotiate with the player, and there is no longer a deadline in which both parties have to reach an agreement.

Lackey, Bay, Holliday, Figgins, Valverde and Gonzalez are all Type A free agents, meaning the teams that offered them arbitration will get two compensatory picks from the teams that eventually sign the players. The remaining players are classified as Type B free agents and will earn their former clubs one compensatory pick.

Lackey made 27 starts for the Angels last season, posting an 11-8 record and 3.83 earned-run average. The right-hander made an additional three starts in the postseason, going 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.

Bay hit .267 with 36 homers, 119 runs batted in, 103 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 151 games during his first full season with Boston in 2009.

Holliday was dealt from Oakland to St. Louis just prior to the trading deadline last season and helped the Cardinals capture the NL Central crown. In a combined 156 games, he batted .313 with 24 homers, 109 RBI and 94 runs scored. Holliday hit .353 and slugged 13 round-trippers in 63 games after joining the Cardinals.

DeRosa was also acquired by the Redbirds for a stretch run to the playoffs in late July, splitting the 2009 season between Cleveland and St. Louis and batting a combined .250 with 23 homers and 78 RBI in 139 games.

Figgins, rumored to be close to signing with Seattle, hit .298, scored 114 runs and swiped 42 bases for the Angels last season. Beltre missed time with injuries in 2009, appearing in 111 games for the Mariners while hitting .265 with 44 RBI. He had just eight home runs after slugging at least 25 in each of his previous three seasons for the M's.

Marquis was a 15-game winner for Colorado in 2009, earning his first career All-Star nod after posting 11 first-half victories. The righty made 33 starts overall and had a 4.04 ERA in a career-high 216 innings.

Valverde recorded 25 saves and a 2.33 ERA, going 4-2 in 52 relief appearances for Houston in 2009.

A trio of pitchers chose to accept arbitration -- Minnesota's Carl Pavano, Atlanta's Rafael Soriano and Colorado's Rafael Betancourt. The three players can now either negotiate a new contract or allow an arbitration panel to determine their 2010 salary.

Pavano went 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA in a combined 33 starts for Cleveland and Minnesota last season. He pitched to a 4.64 ERA and was 5-4 in 12 starts after joining the Twins on August 7.

Soriano made 77 relief appearances for the Braves in 2009, compiling a 1-6 record and posting a 2.97 ERA over 75 2/3 innings. Betancourt split time between the Indians and Rockies last season, appearing in 61 games out of the bullpen with a 2.73 ERA in 56 innings.

Of the list's original 23 names, three had previously signed contracts prior to Monday's deadline with pitcher Billy Wagner joining the Braves, catcher Gregg Zaun going to the Brewers and second baseman Marco Scutaro's signing late last week with Boston.

Rodriguez was reportedly close to finalizing a two-year, $6 million contract with the Washington Nationals.