With the arrival of pitchers and catchers at Spring Training just around the corner, Johnny Cueto, a right-handed free agent, is gearing up to take the mound and hopes to secure a contract for the 2024 season, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi.
Cueto, who is approaching his 38th birthday next week, had a less-than-stellar performance last year. He joined the Marlins on a one-year, $8.5 million deal, which consisted of a $6 million salary and a $2.5 million buyout for a 2024 club option. The Marlins were optimistic that Cueto could contribute valuable experience to their young pitching staff and fill the void left by the trade of Pablo López to the Twins as part of the Luis Arráez deal.
Unfortunately, Cueto’s first outing of the year was cut short after just 30 pitches due to tightness in his right biceps. He landed on the injured list in early April and didn’t return until July. Although he managed to make some appearances, his performance was far from impressive. He ended the year with 52 1/3 innings pitched over 10 starts and three relief appearances, but his numbers were disappointing. Cueto allowed an average of 6.02 earned runs per nine innings, striking out only 17.9% of batters and giving up 17 home runs in that limited showing.
The Marlins had the option to retain Cueto for the 2024 season at a cost of $10.5 million, but they chose to decline it and instead paid the $2.5 million buyout, making him a free agent once again. Given his age and underwhelming performance, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to question if Cueto was considering retirement. However, it appears that he is planning to continue his career. Interest in him will likely be minimal following a season like that, and there have been no reports linking him to any specific teams this offseason. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that Cueto has bounced back from struggles in the past.
During his time with the Giants from 2017 to 2021, Cueto posted a 4.38 ERA, but he spent time on the injured list in each full season of that period. He managed to stay healthy during the shortened 2020 season but struggled with a 5.40 ERA. Going into the 2022 season, Cueto became a free agent and settled for a minor league contract with the White Sox, which included a $4.2 million salary if he made it to the major leagues. He proved himself by pitching 158 1/3 innings for the Sox with a 3.35 ERA, which ultimately led to his deal with the Marlins.
The free agent market still boasts a number of talented pitchers, including notable names like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, as well as Mike Clevinger, Michael Lorenzen, and Jakob Junis. Cueto will be part of a group of experienced pitchers that includes Hyun Jin Ryu, Rich Hill, and Zack Greinke.
Cueto has played in parts of 16 MLB seasons so far, accumulating 144 wins and 1,851 strikeouts, while maintaining a 3.50 ERA across 368 games.