The Chicago Cubs will have plenty of decisions to make this offseason, but two such choices could have a huge impact on their 2024 starting rotation.
Those decisions will come on the contract options of pitchers Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks, both of whom could become free agents at season’s end. Stroman currently holds a player option, while Hendricks has a team option on his contract.
In his weekly mailbag, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic addressed both pitchers’ contract options for the 2024 season, and while his take on the situation may not be shocking, it’s worth keeping in mind as the team works to position its roster moving forward.
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According to Sharma, it “appears to be highly likely” that Stroman will opt into the third and final year of the deal he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2022 season.
Sharma also reports that it could be a “foregone conclusion” that the Cubs will pick up their option on Hendricks’ contract for 2024, so long as he remains healthy.
Stroman had a stellar start to the 2023 season for the Cubs, leading the league in ERA and quality starts well into mid-June. His performance began to slip around the team’s trip to London, and he eventually landed on the injured list with a hip issue and then torn cartilage in his rib cage.
Stroman has since returned in a relief role to the Cubs, and has a 10-8 record and a 3.76 ERA in 25 total appearances this season.
MLB
The contract Stroman signed with the Cubs prior to the 2022 season came with an opt-out clause following this season, with Stroman owning a $21 million contract option for 2024.
According to Spotrac, the contract also had an escalator clause for innings pitched, but Stroman did not hit 160 innings in either season, so the $21 million number remains intact.
Hendricks’ contract option is a team option, with the Cubs holding the right to retain him for $16.5 million for next season. If the Cubs were to decline that option, they would owe Hendricks approximately $1.5 million, according to Spotrac.
In 22 starts this season, Hendricks has a 6-7 record and a 3.77 ERA. He recovered from a capsular tear in his right shoulder that ended his 2022 season in July, and he has been one of the team’s most consistent pitchers, returning to form after consecutive rough seasons for the North Siders.
Official decisions are expected on all contract matters following the conclusion of the World Series.