Marcus Stroman

Position: Starting Pitcher

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 05/01/91 (32)

Traditional Stats: 27 G, 10-9, 3.95 ERA, 1.259 WHIP, 136 2/3 IP, 119 K

Advanced Stats: 2.7 fWAR, 3.58 FIP, 4.18 xERA, 9.0 BB%, 20.7 K%

Rundown

After attending the prestigious Duke University, Marcus Stroman was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He would quickly navigate his way through the Blue Jays farm system before making his MLB debut in 2014.

Stroman made an immediate impact in his rookie campaign, starting 20 games with 11 wins and a 3.65 ERA. His advanced metrics show that this was no fluke, as he accumulated a 2.84 FIP and 3.4 fWAR.

His path to success was promptly interrupted by a torn ACL that required surgery, which curtailed most of his 2015 season. However, in only four starts, he pitched to a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings.

Since then, Stroman has established himself as one of the premier durable starters in the league, eclipsing 30 games started in three of his next four seasons after that. While he struggled in 2016 with an uninspiring 4.37 ERA, he bounced back in 2017 with a 3.09 ERA in 201 innings pitched. His ability to produce quality results while staying on the field has made Stroman a hot commodity among contenders.

Although he struggled in 2018 with just 19 games started and a 5.54 ERA, he secured his first All-Star selection in 2019. He started his All-Star campaign with the Blue Jays, where he accumulated a 2.96 ERA among 21 starts until he was traded to the New York Mets around the trade deadline period.

This trade would bring Stroman into the New York spotlight during a pennant race, and he did not disappoint. In 11 starts, he struck out 60 batters in 59 2/3 innings with a 3.77 ERA. While the Mets did not live up to their playoff aspirations that season, Stroman played a large part in keeping them afloat during the final months of the season.

Consequently, Stroman made the personal decision to withdraw from playing in the 2020 shortened season. However, his absence in 2020 did not impact his 2021 results, as he started an impressive 33 games with a 3.02 ERA. While his ground ball rate was lower than usual at 50.8%, his career-best 7.94 strikeouts per nine innings shows that Stroman is a versatile pitcher who could use several methods to retire batters.

After a commendable season, Stroman entered the free agent market and cashed in on a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs worth $71 million. He would pick up right where he left off with the Mets during his first season as a member of the Cubs. In 25 games started, he accumulated a 3.50 ERA in 138 2/3 innings with 119 strikeouts.

He would continue this success in his second year with the Cubs, where he nabbed his second All-Star selection. Like the previous season, he started 25 games and struck out 119 batters. The only difference is that his ERA increased to 3.95.

Despite that, Stroman decided to opt out of his remaining year with the Cubs and test the free-agent market once again. The right-handed pitcher, known for his outstanding career ground ball rate of 56.7 percent, looks to leverage his pedigree of reliability and success to earn himself a more lucrative deal.

Stroman’s repertoire most notably includes his sinker, which he used 46.4 percent of the time in 2023. This is the pitch that has generated a lot of ground balls for Stroman during his career. He also features a slurve that had a tremendous whiff rate of 30.6 percent in 2023. His combination of strikeouts and ground balls has made his skillset unique among the vast array of flamethrowers around the league.

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Contract

The idea to include a third-year player option in his initial contract with the Cubs paid off for Stroman, as he enters the free agent market as a 32-year-old reliable starting pitcher with multiple years of experience.

MLB Trade Rumors estimates that Stroman will receive a two-year deal worth $44 million, citing Nathan Eovaldi‘s similar two-year $34 million contract he signed with the Texas Rangers as the floor for what Stroman would get. They claim that he could potentially earn a three-year deal, depending on the demand for starting pitchers this offseason.

Recommendation

The Mets are in a position where they can use all of the help they can get in the starting pitching department. The recent injury news regarding David Peterson only magnifies this concern.

Despite his controversial relations with the Mets’ fanbase and media, Stroman would be a great asset for this Mets team as he has proven he can succeed in the Citi Field environment. Further, he has displayed a knack for staying on the field without compromising the quality of production.

If they can negotiate a deal within a reasonable range, it would be an intelligent decision to bring Stroman back to Queens.