MLB Rumors: Marcus Stroman has declined the player option for the final year of his contract with the Chicago Cubs, making the righthanded starting pitcher a free agent. Because Stroman has received a qualifying offer from the New York Mets in 2020, the Cubs cannot make him a qualifying offer this year, and thus he will be eligible to be signed without draft compensation being given up.
Stroman signed a 2 year, $50 million deal after the 2021 season that included a $21 million player option for the 2024 season. Stroman pitched a total of 52 games (50 starts) for the Cubs the past two years, putting up a 3.