The free agent starting pitching market has gotten off to a fast start, but there hasn’t yet been any movement among the top tier of arms. There’s surely robust interest in each of the class’ top starters, particularly given that the market for mid-tier options has already proven quite strong. Some clarity has emerged on the bidding for one of those top hurlers: right-hander Marcus Stroman.
MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes reports (Twitter link) that the Red Sox, Giants, Cubs, Angels and incumbent Mets are among the clubs with interest in Stroman. The Angels were already reported to be suitors, but the other four teams represent newly-known entrants into his market. Jon Morosi of MLB.com, meanwhile, adds the Mariners as another potential suitor for Stroman.
No one in that group is particularly surprising, as each of that quintet has been known to be seeking starting pitching. The Giants, Cubs and Angels have all made one or more notable rotation pickups already, but each reportedly remained in the bidding for Steven Matz even after landing other starters. The Red Sox and Mets were also known Matz suitors, and they’re both facing rotation uncertainty this winter. Boston has already seen Eduardo Rodríguez depart, while the Mets have lost Noah Syndergaard and would need to replace Stroman were he to sign elsewhere.
Stroman’s a sensible target for any team looking to bolster its rotation. The 30-year-old has been a reliable source of above-average innings for essentially the entirety of his career. He’s started 32+ games and exceeded 175 innings in four of the past five full seasons, with his 19 starts and 102 1/3 frames in 2018 the lone exception. (Stroman also opted out of the shortened 2020 campaign). Going back to the start of 2016, he ranks fifteenth in innings pitched, consistently shouldering a heavy workload in spite of his slight frame.
Over the course of his career, Stroman typically hasn’t had an approach geared towards missing many bats. He’s coming off a career-best 11.6% swinging strike rate, though, a mark that’s a hair above the 10.9% league average for starters. Generating an average or better amount of whiffs would be more of an ancillary bonus than anything, as Stroman’s calling cards are plus strike-throwing and plenty of grounders.
The sinkerballer has induced grounders on over half the balls in play against him in each season of his career, routinely surpassing 60% ground-ball rates during his time with the Blue Jays. His 50.8% rate in 2021 was a career-low, but that figure was still eight points above the league mark. That consistency in inducing ground-ball contact has allowed Stroman to remain mostly impervious to longballs, as he’s never allowed even one homer per nine innings in a season during his big league career.
Stroman played out the 2021 campaign with the Mets after accepting the club’s qualifying offer last winter. Players can’t be tagged with a QO more than once in their careers, so Stroman hit the market this winter unencumbered. Signing clubs won’t have to forfeit a draft choice to land the former first-round pick, and the Mets wouldn’t receive any compensation were he to depart.
Between Stroman’s consistently strong track record and the lack of a QO, he profiles as one of the more appealing options in this winter’s class. Stroman doesn’t boast the swing-and-miss stuff of some of this offseason’s other top options, but he’s also proven capable of thriving in spite of below-average strikeout numbers. The Duke University product has posted an ERA under 4.00 in four of his six seasons with 100+ innings pitched, and his 3.02 mark in 2021 was a personal best. Entering the offseason, MLBTR placed Stroman eleventh on the Top 50 free agents, forecasting a five-year, $110MM guarantee.
Mariner players are doing their part to lure him to Seattle.
In other news, water is still wet
If you don’t like that they are updating about what’s happening DONT read it
If you dont like my comment joking about it DONT reply
Sorry then didn’t realize it was a joke, further the dont was an auto cap not on purpose
Tstats, DONT feel you need to apologize to these entitled cretins.
You are an established poster on this site —–respect due
Actually water is not itself wet, but can make other solid materials wet.
Wetness is the ability of a liquid to adhere to the surface of a solid, so when we say that something is wet, we mean that the liquid is sticking to the surface of a material. Other than that……..#SeaUsRise
I’m going to have to disagree. That’s almost like saying the sticky part of a sticker isn’t sticky
@Pete, the sticky part of a sticker isn’t sticky. It’s the ability of said substance to adhere to another object that gives it the illusion of being sticky. If you have Vaseline on your finger, is a sticker still sticky? Not if it won’t adhere!
The Vaseline takes that away. It’s like one of Newton’s laws. Something like an object in motion will stay in motion until acted on by another force. The sticker is sticky until you lather it in vaseline
@Dog, thank you. You totally made me crack up. I buy your analysis as well.
For most of us non-MIT or UC Berkeley guys, water is wet and when another object becomes what, it can be from water.
For most of us non-MIT or UC Berkeley guys, water is wet and when another object becomes wet, it can be from water.
Water isn’t wet.
Stroman doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Cubs. Seems like they are doing their due diligence on all starters, but Stroman makes little to no sense with where they are as a team, with infield defense not being a strength right now, and Stroman’s competitive nature.
The Cubs make a lot of sense for any pitcher willing to sign a 1-2 year deal that they could flip at the deadline if things aren’t going well.
I am a Cubs fan. I think Stroman is great. But I completely agree not a good fit. Cubs are rebuilding. No need for them to spend 85-115 million on a starting pitcher.
Why would Stroman want to sign with the Cubs, a team 2 to 3 years from competing?
Something to do with a big contract I’d assume.
Stroman is either going to the Angels, Giants or Mets.
Or one of the 27 other teams.
He’s not going to the Yankees. He’s not going to a team who won’t pay him. That leaves about ten teams.
D’accord, @Halo11.
I was actually pretty surprised to hear Cash made such a big offer for Verlander. I know it’s weird, but our pitching (both rotation & pen) is in pretty good shape heading into ’22. Cash’s efforts there over the past year have mostly worked out.
I think he will add a starter. But that has more to do with the fact Taillon won’t be ready for opening day than any kind of abject need. I don’t think it’ll be a very sexy acquisition, either. & – quite frankly – a big name addition would be swell & all but isn’t necessary.
Pittsburgh?????? Pittsburgh??
Ducky,
I agree with your assessment of the starting pitching staff based on last year’s results. However, I wonder if Nestor Cortez, and the bullpen will be as good as last year. Bigger holes to fill in the starting lineup but would love to have another starter.
“You can never have too much pitching” isn’t just a cliche, @Mick. It is a truism, uh?
Cole is Cole. Montgomery, German, & Taillon all have shown to be above average staters & are a nice backbone of a lot of MLB staffs. Cortez…well, that certainly may be all smoke & mirrors. But his style is essentially smoke & mirrors, so I don’t really know what we have there?
Got some young kids down on the farm, too.
I am particularly excited about Schmidt. I think he’s going to be pretty good. & we still have Sevy. (Side note: wow, did he ever fill out when he was rehabbing. Kid’s jacked now.)
I think Taillon’s ankle threw a bit of a wrench into Cash’s offseason plan though. Like I posted, I think Cash will do a little something with the rotation.
But I don’t think it’ll be all that significant. Probably sift through the leftovers in February. Which – although perhaps unpopular in Yankee Nation – I feel is completely defensible. But seeing how he did offer a pretty high AAV to Verlander I could very well be completely wrong.
Which certainly would not be a first.
Cole isn’t that great after sticky stuff crackdown. I’ve seen him get knocked around a bunch of times since then. Montgomery, German, Taillon, all average.
Wow, quite a prognostication. You mean he’ll be playing somewhere in the big leagues? Can you narrow it down?
“I’ve seen him get knocked around a bunch of times…” Every pitcher ever gets knocked out of a game sometime, bro.
& so…what then? He was the AL Cy Young runner up due to…handsomeness or something?
That is not how that works.
Gerrit Cole is a true ace. The End.
Jordan Montgomery: 2021 ERA+ 112, 3.4 WAR
Domingo German: 2021 ERA+ 110, 1.3 WAR
Jameson Taillon: 2021 ERA+ 106, 2.2 WAR
An ERA+ of 100 = “average”. Fyi.
I will stick with my assertions. Sure they’re not all hot-takey like yours is, but some easy to understand numbers are a pretty good argument nonetheless.
Or going to White Sox!
If I’m the Cubs I’d make these moves and if not in contention at the deadline, flip anyone and everyone for prospects. If contending, add some short-term rentals to make the fans happy.
Rotation
Kyle Hendricks
(Johnny Cueto)
(Michael Pineda)
Wade Miley
Albert Alzolay
Bullpen
Rowan Wick
Codi Heuer
(Daniel Hudson)
(Colin McHugh)
(Corey Knebel)
Starting Positions
C – Contreras
1B – Schwindel/Wisdom
2B – Madrigal
SS – Hoerner
3B – (Eduardo Escobar)
LF – (Michael Conforto)
CF – (Leury Garcia)/Ian Happ
RF – Heyward
The issue with this is that conforto costs a draft pick so maybe someone like Canha
Cueto? are you serious? He get lit up faster than a joint in a Cheech and Chong Movie
I am a Cubs fan.
I like your approach, but I think signing Cueto and Confortoo is whack-a-doodles.
(Unless Cueto is one year at 45 million or less and Conforto is one year at $12 million or less. Plus Conforto costs you a draft pick! I do not know if there will be any market for Cueto and some poor soul will offer Conforto a multi-year contract with an AAV above $12 million.)
45 million should read 4-5
If I am the cubs I go after Greinke and Rodon on short term deals and start throwing darts at bounce back relief pitching candidates.
Brewers fan…cubs signing Knebel would be a great move. I really like that idea. His velocity and curve ball look great. Health is always a concern with him but no question he has closer stuff and pedigree. Could see him as an all-star closing for the cubs (painful for me to say) and a valuable trade chip at the break.
Finally a Cubs fan with sense. Smart moves that if they pay off, they could be division contenders. If they don’t no harm, they’re all short-term deals anyways.
Lol if he signs with Angels will take all his toys and run away. Bahahahaha Mets biggest joke going in sports
^^^Cohen^^^^ will do that
Fans obsession with exaggerating the Mets issues is getting really childish
It is the off-season, let them have their jokes. The Mets FO really is messed up, but once the season starts people will move on.
Too much time on their hands.
Then maybe the Mets should be better at not inviting these comments?
Though, I guess they are improving, I mean, it’s not like their owner made petulant comments after not getting a callback from an agent. Oh wait… he did.
Right, Cohen said something dumb on Twitter so therefore you HAVE TO obsessively respond with asinine exaggerations. Ok.
Cohen is that you? Didn’t realize this was such a touchy subject. It’s okay to joke around a little.
Do you think this one will get away from Cohen like Matz.
Yes
No more the 3 years! Like 3/48…. Boston
Hate to say it but Stroman is getting a $80M+ contract from someone.
Wouldn’t doubt it if it’s over$100MM
I just hope he doesn’t go to the Mets. Too much money tied up in Lindor, they’ve already lost Thor, their offense is subpar, they still have $48M tied up in Cano…. I feel bad for DeGrom’s wasted prime years there. Alonso needs to get out if he can.
Classy! Fan of backwater team or the Evil Empire?
Yankee fan? Definitely not. Love the Astro-show. Wish he would go to a team with a better shot at the playoffs.
I love how Toronto is not rumoured to be after Stro. He would fill a need for sure but his ego would be too detrimental to the clubhouse.
My guess he signs with the Yankees for a smaller term or aav than we all think.
He ain’t signing with the Yankees. He’s still upset with Cashman about some remarks he made while Stroman was still in Toronto.
Dude this guy is in love with the pin stripes and NYC. Not sure where you get your info but it’s probably a “new York thing” aka total bs lol
I got my info from Stroman himself. A quick Google search will show you what I’m talking about.
Joe:
Totally agree. Maybe if Cashman offers way, way more than anyone else then maybe Stroman becomes a Yankee, but like you, I’m supremely doubtful.
I definitely remember reading an article where Stro said he didn’t want to play for the Yankees. Maybe research a bit before you imply that someone is lying.
Too many coldbeers?
Lots of pretty ugly press in re Stroman & the Yanks, @Joe. Like you, I figured that was common knowledge. I guess some of us drink more & read less.
Obligatory: not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Stroman is all about Stroman. I hope the Sox look elsewhere.
He’s not cutting his hair so he’s not signing with the Yankees.
Stro was fine in the clubhouse, his teammates liked him, and he is a fierce competitor. I get that he’s lippy and opinionated but I never got the stro hate, he was an underdog who worked hard at his craft and loved being here. Not only that, him coming back early from tearing his ACL for the playoffs was such an amazing moment.
Jays are not looking at stroman because he’s a mid rotation starter and they have a bunch of those already. They either need a guy to lead the rotation or they need cheap innings eaters, Stroman is not an ace but he’s also not going to be cheap. You’re better off with over spending on Ray and letting Pearson, hatch, Stripling duke it out for innings
They loved him in the clubhouse in Toronto – gives you a chance to win every five days. Unfortunately his ego and outspokenness is too much for the front office and Mark Shapiro, who has an even bigger ego.
Anaheim will be his next destination. He’s already got a JWA tag on his suitcase..Who wouldn’t want play alongsideFletch,Ohtani, Trout,Rendon and Walsh Living in Newport Beach…….
PM- Arte, He wants to play for the Angels.
Arte- Sign the Mother F’r
PM- You Got it. (Transcript provided by TMZ)
You miss the win 75 games part.
They will have 75 by mid August.
But who wouldn’t want to play with David Fletcher?
And Joe will burn him out by end of May. Neither Maddon or Stroman will have a uniform on by September.
6 man rotation if he joins the Angels How do you figure the Angels Burning him out
As an Angel fan, this is the guy I want.
Hallo11Fan-I’m a Angels fan and I approve that message.
FinkleSteinSh*tkid-I’m a Mets fan and I can spell ‘Halo’
That’s about the ONLY thing a Mets fan can do.
I agree in that, unlike countless signings in recent years, he doesn’t come with a laundry bag full of red flags and question marks. The guy is a solid competitor, stays healthy, eats innings, takes the ball every 5 days, and gives his club a chance to win every time out. He’s worth 5/110M to the Angels. Lock him up.
Soon enough the Mets will have only one ego left on the roster (Lindor), assuming Stroman and Baez are gone.
Players with egos can be worth having. Tatis Jr. has a huge ego and he will make the team better. Lindor is worth having they just paid him $100 million more than he was worth. Baez is an asset but maybe only at four years and 60 million. He has a talent for making the impossible play but not always the routine one. He has power and style but enough strikeouts to undermine his brilliance. Stroman is worth a five year contract. I see him going to Mets or Giants.
I sure hope he doesn’t end up as a Giant. You can get Rodon on a year or 1+1 pillow for that type of AAV, I’d definitely prefer Rodon+Greinke or some combo of Cobb, Gray, Kluber, Duffy types that you can get 2 of for the price of those in the 20-25ish AAV range. Then hope that you squeeze out another Gausman (I appreciate what he’s done, but 6 years is too long, 130M+ is too much), but if not, you have some reliable depth where none of them have to do anything beyond contribute 130ish solid innings with Webb and Desclafani picking up the top 2 spots and money left for either Story 2B pillow or Castellanos, Schwarber, Marte, etc. I’m hoping they get the best possible combination of 2SP, UT, OF(x2 maybe CF+1) as they possibly can, and avoid terribly long deals. Plenty of cash to spend but wouldn’t like to see it tied up for years again. Also want to see them back up closer to 200M, SFG should be in the mix every year. Payroll should be constructed to have flexible trade and off-season room any year it’s needed. Just hoping that now we’ll get to see Farhan flex on his ability to do that.
Sorry, TL;DR…I’m a Giants fan and am saying I would like a perfect off-season. No biggie. Have a nice day.
Why would Rondon take a 1+1. Why,he’s they youngest of the group, and LAA fans, if you signed a guy who has 2 innings in 2 years, also 2 runs, $22 mil, what do you think Stro w/29+ starts a year for his career is going to start at. Looking @ $35 a yr on a short term.
Your idea is just terrible. Giants could definitely use him.
When teams win, some things are worked through. A team with Lindor, Baez and Stroman signed long term is like having dynamite in one pocket and the igniting source in the other. Wait until the losing happens. Last year two of the three were playing in September for their next contract. That won’t be the case this September.
Baez already showed his cards by igniting controversy with the thumbs-down sign. Funny, a new guy comes in and already acts like he is some big shot in NY. As you said rightfully, he was playing for a contract. Once he signs, whoever signs him is up for disaster. Thankfully, the Braves are not looking for a SS or 2nd baseman.
Red Sox, please don’t sign this head case.
He’s really not a head case.
Agree Cosmo he’s not a head case at all imo either just a real competitor in a sport where guys have the personality of golfers.
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYxNmLelvZJw?ref_src=tws…
If you have an open mind, here is Stroman at a press conference. The head case and ego complaints sound like dog-whistle tropes to me. Low strikeout rate keeps him from being elite, but he is very, very solid.
Dog-whistle. Tropes.
What, couldn’t fit in Phobic? Hate speech? White Supremacy?
Take your bs phony racism back to MSNBC.
Apparently, if a fan doesn’t want to spend 100 mill on a
. 500 pitcher, hes racist now…
We have a bias when, rather than being neutral, we have a preference for (or aversion to) a person or group of people. Thus, we use the term “implicit bias” to describe when we have attitudes towards people or associate stereotypes with them without our conscious knowledge.
When bloggers are ok with racists like Josh Hader and homophobes like Noah Syndergaard joining their favorite teams, but are upset by a proud person of color like Stroman, it tells you a lot.
I have no problem with the bloggers who question his strikeout rate, ability to go through the lineup a third time or even opting out during the pandemic. But the ones who are focused on his “personality” yep they seem biased or sometimes even racist.
You’re fishin’ dude. Hader is a racist? Because of a tweet in high school?
I don’t want Stroman on my team, nor do I want Baez. Not because of their race, but because I don’t think they are front line guys for winning teams. Nor worth the money they’ll receive.
I’ve no problem with Stroman but I do have an issue with the constant, flippant accusations of racism constantly being thrown about without any actual evidence. It really does a lot of harm. It’s inflammatory and slanderous and only serves to unnecessarily divide people and serves to dilute the term.
I never intended my comment to be racist… how has it become that way?
@pwn. It wasn’t. Just someone screaming racism like usual.
Wherever he goes, he’s getting 6/120. He will use Mets to drive up price. Or maybe not. Who knows. He may come back for an overpay
Come on Perry…
After the Angels signed Thor, I see Stroman going to Seattle now.
Why would he go to Seattle when he has options with the Angels, Giants, Red Sox, Mets and possibly the Yankees? Seattle cannot outbid these other bigger markets and Stroman’s ego is not going to allow him to be banished to the pacific Northwest– as good as your coffee is.
Sure Seattle can. They paid for Cano. They can go big.
I wouldn’t rule too many teams out.
Oooooh 1 player makes The M’s a “Player” The M’s will have to overpay to get him.
One player means they can and have and have and are willing.
It would not surprise me in the least if the Ms go big on a player.
Halo11fan, no Seattle traded Cano, so they didn’t payoff a big contract, they didn’t for Jr, A-Roid, so Stro not on their radar.
You believe that Stroman the hot dog, the attention seeker, a man from New York who loves playing for the Mets, and who will be offered the same major money from major markets like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco that will enable him to make even more ancillary dollars– will choose the obscurity of Seattle to play with Mitch Haniger over Trout , Ohtani and Rendon, or the winning of the Giants, or choose to stay home in the media capital of NY where he lives and was raised? I don’t.
Mitch haniger was 98% of ohtanis production at the plate this year. and unless the other 8 dudes in the line up can pitch Anaheim is locked and loaded for another losing season. The mariners best players aren’t even up yet and they have over a 100mil to spend. Get a grip dude.
They absolutely can. Not too long ago they had a salary in the upper third of the league. They’ve kept their payroll down to rebuild their farm system, which is 2nd in baseball now, and they have around $100 million to spend and still have a decent payroll budget.
They can offer whatever they want, but the player has to want to go to that region– right?
Seattle might have more money available to spend this off-season than any other team.
I loved Stroman when he was a blue jay but I don’t think he would be good for the group we have now. LAA is where I think he’s going
Me too, was my favourite pitcher for the Jays .. All the negative press about his “personality” is ridiculous to me, and shows the amount of insecure “alpha males” who are his teammates, who he apparently rubbed the wrong way.
The guy is an ultra competitor who will battle you.. If we’ve add him back to a rotation that already has Berrios and Manoah and Ryu at the backend, that would be no joke .. Would help out our bullpen as well, having another true innings eater like Stroman.
He’d bring that firey energy he always had, ultra competitiveness, I heard he was tinkering with his pitches with the Mets, as he’s always looking for ways to improve. Found a new pitch he added to his arsenal, whatever the case may be…
Me personally, I think he’s a leader if anything, you can tell he is by the way he competes on the mound. I don’t buy into the toxicity stuff for a second, I wouldn’t mind playing alongside him that’s for sure if I was a baseball player .. A guy who pitches like he’s desperate to win. What’s not to like imo? I don’t get it. I would be ecstatic to have him back… I trust him more then I do Robbie Ray for a longer term deal. Ray has more upside probably, but a lot more bust potential as well..
With Stroman you know you’re getting a workhorse who’s always looking to get better.. that same “toxic ego” that apparently rubs people the wrong way is the same reason he’s always wanting to get better. Always pitching games with fire, it’s what sports is about.. Manoah is kinda like him as well.. Again.. Berrios, Stroman and Manoah 1-2-3 would be no joke!
I just hope he doesn’t go to the Red Sox… don’t want to see him possibly dominate for them. Would be a bad look on Atkins if he does though … Striking guys out and inducing double plays while chewing his gum and walking off the mound with flare lol.. it would be a problem definitely.
Funny I wrote something similar above without reading your comment. I always liked Stro too,I don’t think he’s a fit for the team anymore, but I agree it has nothing to do with who he is as a person .
I hear you Dusty, I missed your post, man. I see you have the Dustin McGowan picture lol… I was a big fan of him as well. How come you have him as your avatar? If only he could’ve stayed healthy! He had some nasty stuff. I’ve been wanting to ask you about that avatar
Stupid story but my last year playing HS ball my team did a competition where you had to pick a players facial hair, hair cut or something like that and rock it for a month. I ended up with mcgowans infamous side burns hence the name.
I made this account like 10 years ago, maybe more and guess I just never bothered changing the name. Agree he was so electric, we had so many potential elite pitchers that never quite made hit their potential (McGowan, Sanchez, Morrow, Drabek, etc) hopefully Pearson and Manoah don’t follow that trend !
Who’s on the top of your free agent wish list ?
I hear you, man. I wanted Matz back.. I think he could’ve been another version of J.A Happ for us. A guy who’s figured it out under our coaching staff, and will be more productive then his contact warrants.
Him getting 11 million a year with the cards may be something we definitely could regret. I think he could’ve been a great value get for a dependable rotation arm who pitches to a era under 4.. Hope I’m wrong though, but many of these other guys will wanna break the bank.. so I don’t know.
Colin McHugh and an Eduardo Escobar could be winning additions to our team imo and wouldn’t break the bank.. and maybe trade for a starter.. team doesn’t need all that much, just hope we don’t make any mistakes giving out large contracts and they don’t work out.
What about you ?
You want to win? Go to SF
1 good year. Jury is out weather it’s a fluke or not.
Whether*
No, he was talking about the fluke fishing weather in San Francisco
Lol yeah let’s compare the giants and the Mariners the past decade.
MLBTR’s projection seems rather steep. (Five-years, $110M)
$22 million AAV isn’t all that much for a solid #2 starting pitcher or low-end #1 starter depending on what the rest of the rotation looks like. Pitchers make a lot anymore and $22 million is actually quite decent.
Halo11fan, no Seattle traded Cano, so they didn’t payoff a big contract, they didn’t for Jr, A-Roid, so Stro not on their radar.
perfect pitcher for the angels. make it happen!
If players are trying to get Stroman to come to Seattle, as Stevil said, then that is as good sign.
I wonder if maybe the Mariners know more about this player than we might think.
Personally, I would not oppose it.
Definitely wouldn’t oppose it. His fire would fit nicely with my boys JP and Kelenic!
Right on, Shiatsu4yu!
He’d fit in with the fans, too. Watching those people support their team in September was a ton of fun. Every night when the Dodgers game ended, I would flip to the Mariners game. Sometimes I did it before the Dodgers game was over. Enjoy what’s happening, Mariners fans. Your team is turning a corner.
Thanks, Cey Hey, and I have to tell you that I was a Dodgers fan long before there was ever a Seattle team. Now I’m both.
You were a fan in 69. Ever see Bouton pitch?
Sure did, and I published a great photo of Bouton in ’75 in a magazine I published in Oregon at that time. That photo is one of my treasures.
There was a guy! Kind of a renaissance man in many ways.
Your team was a -50 run differential. Be prepared for a major step backward because the math does not add up to consistent winning. See 20 year playoff drought for reference and DiPoto as your fearless leader. Seattle is a nice little cow town, the gateway to Alaska– but to travel from their to any real city is too far for a player who has a choice– and Stroman has lots of choices more appealing than Seatac!
Come on Perry pull the trigger on this guy!
Red Sox fans and Stroman – what could possibly go wrong.
Best Screenname, now that is true humor.
Red Sox fans and ANYBODY, what could possible go wrong?
What we do is wait and see the answer as it unfolds, game by game.
Genuine wit is rather rare.
Stroman not leaving NY plain and simple.
He isn’t going to the Yankees. He hates the Yankees.
Plus, he’s not cutting his hair for any team.
People can say what they want about a pitcher’s W/L record not being important, but pitching well and posting a losing record as Stroman did with the Mets can’t be much fun. Why would he want to subject himself to that again?
I can think of 100 million reasons, maybe 120 million reasons. He did well there and he has said he like the clubhouse atmosphere. I really think the Mets and Giants are the most likely options.
Buckets of cash, maybe
Rumours in Seattle is stroman was just seen getting off plane in SeaTac. He was going back and forth w sewald online after the meeting. I think Seattle.gets him.
Are you joke writer for Jimmy Kimmel? Permission to use that
I don’t know who that is
I agree. The Mariners and the Angels both need a guy like Stroman, but the Mariners have significantly more payroll flexibility. A well-orchestrated rebuild by the M’s. Timely, too, with Correa apparently leaving the division.
corea may, just maybe, come back to the division.
How did you come up with this theory? The Mariners have more payroll flexibility than the Angels– based on what?Moreno is worth $4B and has a major franchise with the third best attendance in the sport and an international star generating even more money. Moreno has huge TV revenue and a new stadium development deal that he’ll probably make close to a billion dollars on once it’s completed. He can afford to buy whatever he wants and as many wants– and this year he is. Angels are adding two more starters– not one.
Carllafong- He thinks because they cleared a bunch of payroll they can spend like the Dodgers or Yankees. Let him dream. The player has to first WANT to play for your team.
Trout
Rendon
Ohtani
SoCal Weather
Fletcher
Young up coming player. Adell, Walsh
Newport Beach.
It’s a no brainer
Packed Stadium every night.
Mariners or the Angels sound about right. He’ll get paid but can’t screw anything up there.
I would not mind at all if Stroman was in San Francisco. I can see the fan base really liking his competitive spirit.
Webb, Stroman, Disco, Wood, ? ….
This guy and his fiery persona would be a great fit w the Astros
But I have him picked for Red Sox
Stroman is great on percussion instruments, so yes he would be perfect in Houston tapping out messages on their trash cans.
Reminds me of the Kevin Long situation with the Yankees. Had a very good reputation, players loved him, had good results, but one off year and he was gone. Always easier to fire the hitting coach. Stick around long enough with a team as a hitting coach and you will eventually be fired. Within the game, though, they know who the good ones are, and Thames seems to be in that class from what I’ve heard and read.
Ha. Strange. I saw Thames and not Stroman.
Stroman is going to get paid big based on the contracts we’ve seen so far for lesser pitchers. Does he want to play for the Mets and Cohen? Local kid, but then again, so was Matz.
The world may have come back around for a pitcher like Stroman. Post the sticky-stuff change, when teams prior were looking for high spin and velocity up, many now are looking for pitchers with less spin who have shown they can succeed. He may generate less K’s, but his ability to throw ground balls and suppress HRs is valuable and indeed a different look than many other pitchers.
It’s ridiculous on one hand to write that the Cubs will not be in on top big money FA’s. Then include the Cubs being in on top to mid tier FA’s. Just because they have money. But won’t spend it.
Because the Cubs rebuilding is a myth. They have God-level money to spend and a mid-tier farm system in a big market with a network. They are in a prime situation to spend big and become pennant contenders within one season. But will they? The big question. Smart move is taking a year off and letting Marquez & Heuer & Hoerner develop. But will the bandwagon 2016 fans sit around for that? It ain’t 2011-12 anymore. Regardless, the Cubs are in the cat bird’s seat… and they know it.
Stroman is Mike Trout’s biggest fan…
6/125M-130M to the Rangers along with Story, Suzuki and Rodon/Gray.
Halo11fan, no Seattle traded Cano, so they didn’t payoff a big contract, they didn’t for Jr, A-Roid, so Stro not on their radar.
Finally! I have been screaming Stro from day 1! We don’t want Matz & he’s gone thankfully. Stro is PERFECT! Mid rotation horse and IMO higher upside that he’s shown in his career so far…not that his career isn’t very good, I just see a #2 guy if he wants it! GET HIM Bloome! Please & Thank you! Also we want Correa, Béaz or Seager at SS. Also go get Max and we’ll be good letting our guys (Arroyo, Houck & Whitlock) get reps and sorted out! Sign Raffy…or Mookie Betts him if he gets ridiculous on $ defense is huge same as offense. Would love to see Raffy, Bobby & Triston Casas hold down the corners & DH as you know many guys are leaving in 22 tons of payroll freeing up so going over 1 year doesn’t kill you…not this year…so go for those guys! Also Suzuki 4/32 to 40AAV with the posting fee would be great!
Cardinals fan here. I think they made their one and only “big” addition by signing Matz. No other big name is coming to St.Louis this off-season. If they don’t do something in the next couple of years, Arenado could very well opt out and go somewhere else. Not saying it’s 100% that he will, but very well could if the Cardinals sit on their hands and miss the playoffs.
Dear God please don’t let the Cubs sign this bum. Overpriced, overrated, and a headcase. Any team that signs him for 2+ years will live to regret it.
As a Redsox fan…. A Big hell no
Stroman and his agent have put him in a perfect situation, he has a lot of contending teams after his services. He is a smart guy(DUKE) with a strong will, I don’t think money will be the driving force here, but he will be a major over pay like all of the free agents. Free agency is not the best way to build a team, the draft and trading for players is the way to improve a team the best.
Stro is a Mets fan and wants to finish the job in NY
Stroman is a pitcher. Great athlete, great fielder.
He’ll likely be somewhat exposed in postseason because he won’t miss bats. His ground all rate is terrific.
He’s the type of guy who will age well and he’s a terrific intelligent person. I’m not a flair guy but he deserves 5 years $90M to. $100M
Uncle Stevies Twitter will be lit when Stro signs elsewhere. As a Met fan, I will be unhappy (to lose Stro) and embarrassed by the owner’s lack of basic social skills and emotional intelligence
A lot of fire, this conversation has.(read like Yoda lol)
So, a guy is undersized and punches above his weight because he’s confident? Reminds me of Altuve (minus the trash can). Now, as a Yankee fan I loathe Altuve, but I respect him because of his competitiveness.
Winning breeds cultures, the same way losing does. Winners will have each other’s backs, losing will cause discourse and dissension.
Marcus needs to go to a team where the window is open for the length of the deal to be a real contender. I don’t think the Angels, Mariners, Cubs, Mets really fit that. I actually think Houston does. He can play into the heel angle the Astros have used so well the last few years.
Just an opinion. Everyone has one.
Ricketts have the money always have . They knew to shave payroll and trade stars they knew weren’t coming back. With jay hey the only big contract left and for only 2 years , this would be a great splash for the Cubs
Seeing everyone say “mariners can have him” like okay we’ll take him sign him up
Get the Angels jersey ready for him
He would be wise to leave Queens and its fan base full of broken Hearts behind. The Mets are one of the worst Clubs in all of baseball and I would simply use them to Jack up the prices before ultimately leaving them with zero Aces. The Braves will remain Kings of the division as their Northern rivals struggle to put quality talent on the Diamond.
You dont understand the NYM fan base if you think we’re full of broken hearts. You do realize most of us consciously decided NOT to root for the other team in town, one of the most storied and successful franchises in sports worldwide? Before you mischaracterize a fan base, how about thinking, even briefly?
I’m doing just fine with my World Championship.
Im glad – you’ve got a great team to root for and a lot of exciting young talent. Solid GM. I just don’t get the sense that you personally know many Met fans.
You clearly didn’t understand the post. There are card references everywhere.
There was nothing in my gracious response to you that merited your condescending comment. I will not engage with you further. I am sorry if I offended you, however
As a Mets Fan in the NL possibly you didn’t know about the AL East? But before you say a guy will get lit up there you should see his career 1st…so it was a confusing comment. With regards to your perception it was condescending I can’t help how you receive things…offense always resides inside the offended…I never get offended because I control that! The world would do well to realize this fact with all us humans using words…mere words. Your choice of interaction is yours…that’s the beauty of a free country here in the USA! But I’m not offended & you need not apologize to me regardless of what you say to me if that is what you wish to say…free speech is a great thing! But I’ll take Stro in the East & Javier as well! Happy Thanksgiving!
@guru – I was not responding to you and did not say stro would get lit up. I was responding to the master of metaphor and cunning punning, 48 team. Cheers!
Has small man syndrome which rubs some the wrong way. High strung competitor TBS. Needs a high quality infield defense, especially up the middle. Mets had that, certain teams should steer clear because they don’t.
Cohen will lose this one too because he will dick around and not put his best offer out there.Then blame someone else when Stroman signs elswhere which he will.
Come to Seattle Marcus! We have your raincoat waiting. You will be loved
Angels sign Max Scherzer.
3 years 150 mil.