Stro-show 2.0? |
When the 2023 came to a close for the Chicago Cubs, they knew they would be forced with many tough decisions heading into the offseason. One of those decisions was made for them less than two weeks after the season ended, and it was one no one expected as Marcus Stroman opted out of the final year of his deal to hit free agency.
Signed as a free agent in 2021, Stroman inked a three-year, 71 million-dollar contract, with that third year being an option year. Given what the Cubs paid for him, Stroman was expected to be the Ace of the Cubs staff, but they got a middle to back end of the rotation arm at best. That shouldn't surprise anyone, given his career track record, as Stroman is basically a .500 pitcher at best with an ERA in the 3.60 range. That continued last season and basically his entire tenure with the Cubs, which is why many fans were happy he elected not to opt back in. There were times, however, especially during the first three months of the 2023 season, when Stroman proved to be worth the money and was pitching like an ace. When you look at his first seven starts last season, Stroman was by far the best pitcher in the National League, and it wasn't even close as his ERA hovered around 1.50 for the first two months. Despite that, the wins were not what you would expect, as he got little to no run support most of the season. Then came June, when Stroman suffered one of his worst starts of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays and was later removed from the game due to a blister issue. That was the beginning of the end for Stroman, as he was never able to recover from that and missed nearly the entire rest of the season, only to make a few appearances down the stretch. Those appearances weren't great, and some were wondering if the Cubs rushed him back, knowing they were in the middle of a pennant chase. Knowing the struggles and inconsistencies he showed last season, everyone expected him to opt back into his deal this season as it would've given him the most annual money he could get. Instead, Stroman elected to hit free agency to surprise the fans and open up a spot in an already thin rotation. Say what you want about the 33-year-old Stroman. He is who he is, and that won't change, so people need to stop expecting him to be something more. One of the smaller pitchers in the game at 5-7, Stroman, doesn't have the velocity to get people out as he tends to sit in the 92 MPH range with his heater. What he does exceptionally well is use a power sinker to induce weak contact while working the corners to keep hitters off balance. When that works in his favor, he can be tough to beat, but when he is off, you have the results you had the final few months of the season. At 17-16 with a 3.77 career ERA with the Cubs, Stroman continued to be nothing more than a .500 pitcher and far from the ace the Cubs expected him to be. However, don't rule out a possible reunion with the right-hander, as Stroman hasn't gotten much attention on the free-agent market. At the same time, the Cubs haven't done anything regarding signing players. The longer they go without making moves, the more likely it will be that they are forced to pick up Tier-B type of players, which is where Stroman falls into play. Already at 33 years old, the best days are behind Stroman, so you don't know what you will get from him for the remainder of his career. You do know that he isn't worth Ace money or a long-term deal which could play into the Cubs favor even if the fans don't want it to happen. With guys like Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, Cade Horton, and Ben Brown waiting in the wings, the Cubs starting rotation has help on the way and may not want to lock up many spots with long-term deals. However, they need to fill the rotation for 2024 even if they need to make a few one or two-year deal pickups. Stroman fits that position, and given what the Cubs know about him, you can't rule them out on him. Not only will his past performance hurt his rate of pay, but he won't be brought in to be an Ace and will instead go back to being a middle-of-the-rotation arm or even back-end arm. Adding Stroman may not be a hit with fans, especially when you look at his performance mixed with his X rants, but it is a move the Cubs will consider. When you look at how their rotation is now, Stroman would be the No. 3 or No. 4 guy, and if that is the case, he is a better No. 3 or No. 4 than what most teams have. Initially expected to land a two-year deal worth around 45 million dollars, Stroman will most likely not come close as Lucas Giolitto signed for 38 million across two years, with Seth Lugo getting three years at 45 million. Stroman should land somewhere in between and could land a deal similar to Giolitto or even get a three-year deal worth 50 million. Regardless, the Cubs may discuss a short-term reunion with him to keep the rotation afloat.
