Former Cy Young finalist opts for free agency

Another interesting option is hitting the market for the month of July.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Tuesday that veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto has opted out of his contract with the Texas Rangers. Cueto will now hit free agency in the hopes of finding a team with a more immediate need in starting pitching or long relief, Heyman adds.

Cueto is a two-time All-Star who was the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award in 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds (also leading Major League Baseball in strikeouts that season with 242). He later went on to win the World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 2015.

But at 38-years-old now, Cueto hasn’t done much over the last couple of seasons, posting a 6.10 ERA in 13 appearances for the Miami Marlins in 2023 before signing a minor-league deal with the Rangers in April. For Triple-A Round Rock this year, Cueto was 2-1 with a 5.71 ERA and 34 strikeouts over nine starts.

Cueto did draw some decent interest from a few noteworthy MLB teams not that long ago. Though it is unclear if he really has anything left in the tank at this point, Cueto is betting on himself to get another shot on an MLB roster.