(670 The Score) Right-hander Marcus Stroman has declined to exercise his $21-million player option with the Cubs for 2024, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Saturday morning. That means Stroman will enter free agency.
The 32-year-old Stroman's player option decision had been one that carried intrigue, as he had a great first half in 2023 in which he earned All-Star honors before he was plagued by injury and underperformance in the second half. In all, he posted a 3.95 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 136 2/3 innings across 27 appearances, including 25 starts. He had a 113 ERA+, a statistic in which 100 is league average.
Stroman had a 3.50 ERA in 25 starts for the Cubs in 2022, his first season in Chicago.
While the door isn't officially closed on Stroman returning to the Cubs, the likelihood is that he won't. The Cubs have ace Justin Steele and right-hander Jameson Taillon locked into their rotation in 2024, and they're expected to exercise their team option on right-hander Kyle Hendricks as well. Beyond those three, the Cubs have a handful of options for their rotation, including left-hander Drew Smyly, left-hander Jordan Wicks and right-hander Javier Assad. Right-hander Cade Horton is the Cubs’ top pitching prospect and is considered close to being big league-ready as well.
With Stroman's $21 million off the books for 2024, the Cubs also have more financial flexibility to make a serious pursuit of a top-tier pitcher in free agency or on the trade market.