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Barnette's (personal) $3 million team option on his contract was declined by the Cubs on Monday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The 35-year-old was placed on the restricted list at the beginning of July after being sent to the minors in order to figure out the next step in his career. Barnette never returned to Triple-A Iowa, and the team's decision to decline his option isn't very surprising. If the right-hander decides to continue playing, his best fit would likely be as a middle reliever after posting a 4.55 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP over the past three seasons. Even if he does return to the majors, Barnette holds little fantasy value due to his lackluster strikeout numbers and ineffectiveness in limiting run production.
