Marcus Stroman Has Made ‘Multiple Attempts’ to Engage Cubs in Extension Talks, Club Not Interested Yet
Marcus Stroman is pitching like an ace and he’s also expressed interest in remaining with the Cubs well beyond this season, after which he’s got a $21 million player option that he’ll almost certainly decline. He also said he’d be comfortable testing the market if it comes to that, but he’s repeatedly said how much he loves the fans, the organization, and Chicago as a city.
That continued Saturday, when he responded to a tweet laying out his exemplary 2023 stats.
My agent and I made multiple attempts to engage them on an extension. Club wasn’t interested in exploring it now. Will see how it plays out! Love everything about the @Cubs organization!
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) June 10, 2023
“My agent and I made multiple attempts to engage them on an extension,” Stroman wrote. “Club wasn’t interested in exploring it now. Will see how it plays out! Love everything about the Cubs organization!”
While I don’t doubt the veracity of his stated desire to remain in Chicago, this is absolutely a targeted attempt to gain a little leverage in potential extension talks. That might sound odd given how well he’s pitched lately, but we’re also about a month and a half from a trade deadline that could see the righty shipped to a destination he can’t choose. If he’s moved and doesn’t pitch as well down the stretch, he could lose both AAV and years in a new deal.
The Cubs obviously know this and they’re in no rush to get something done because they are used to operating from a position of strength when it comes to deals. Jed Hoyer has been very calculated in his tenure as the main decision-maker, working out shorter extensions with total value that makes sense for players and organization alike, so he’s surely looking to bring Stroman down to a figure closer to what his Ivy system has targeted.
In the end, this will all come down to whether the front office believes it’s more valuable over the next 4-5 years to extend Stroman or trade him for prospects.
