Report: Stroman leaning toward rejecting Mets' qualifying offer

Marcus Stroman is leaning toward declining the New York Mets' qualifying offer and wants to pursue a multi-year contract in free agency, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The Mets qualified Stroman earlier in the week, offering him a one-year, $18.9-million deal. A pending free agent can be given a qualifying offer once in his career. If the player declines, the team he eventually signs for must forfeit draft picks while the incumbent club receives a compensation pick.

Stroman, 29, opted out of the 2020 campaign, citing a "collective family decision," amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The former All-Star authored a 3.22 ERA over 184 1/3 innings between the Mets and Toronto Blue Jays in 2019.

"I would accept the qualifying offer," a National League executive told Puma. "He sat out a year, he's not a big guy, and he's from (Long Island). In a world where nobody claims a $10 million Brad Hand, it's hard to turn your nose up to one year and $18.9 million."

The executive is referring to the Cleveland Indians' decision to place Hand on waivers instead of picking up the lefty closer's $10-million team option. No other team claimed the three-time All-Star.