McCormick elected to become a free agent Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCormick passed through waivers unclaimed after the Astros removed him from their 40-man roster Tuesday. Because the outfielder has more than three years of major-league service time, he had the ability to elect free agency and has done just that. After slashing .259/.336/.449 in his first three seasons with the Astros, McCormick has hit only .211/.273/.301 the last two years. He might have to settle for a minor-league contract this winter.