Mets Pitcher Stroman Opts Out of 2020 MLB Season Due to COVID-19 Concerns

New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman is the latest player to opt out of the 2020 MLB season citing COVID-19 concerns. 

Stroman, 29, became the second Met to opt out after Yoenis Cespedes did so the weekend before last. Unlike Cespedes, Stroman notified the team and made the announcement at a press conference. Acquired by the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays in July 2019, Stroman had not pitched this season due to a torn calf muscle.

While Stroman indicated his calf was healed, he opted out of concern for his grandmother and an uncle who have compromised immune systems noting that his mother was in regular contact with them. 

Stroman might very well have pitched his last game as a Met as he becomes a free agent at the end of 2020 although the team could extend him a qualifying offer in the off-season. 

A first round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2012, Stroman made his big league debut with Toronto in 2014. His best overall season came in 2017 when he went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA which was good enough for an 8th place finish in AL Cy Young balloting. He also won a Gold Glove that season. Prior to last season's trade, Stroman had been selected to his first All-Star Team. In 146 big league appearances (140 of them starts), Stroman is 51-47 with a 3.76 ERA in 849.1 IP along with 695 career strikeouts. Only 11 of those appearances have come with the Mets.