Braden Looper retired after the Cubs informed him that he didn't make the Opening Day roster, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (on Twitter). The Cubs lured Looper out of retirement with a minor league deal that could have been worth $1MM back in January.
Though scouts seemed interested in Looper this spring, he chose retirement over the free agent market since he preferred to play in Chicago, near his family's home.
Looper, the third overall selection in the 1996 draft, last pitched in the majors for the 2009 Brewers. The 36-year-old retires with a 72-65 record, a 4.15 ERA and 669 strikeouts in 1176 innings as a Marlin, Cardinal, Met and Brewer. Baseball-Reference estimates that Looper earned over $24MM in his 12-year-career.
