The MLB free agent class just got a bit stronger after two-time All-Star starting pitcher Marcus Stroman decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Chicago Cubs. Stroman was set to earn $21 million in 2024, but it’s possible the 32-year-old can land an even larger salary while getting more long-term security.
Plus, the chance to land with a contender has to intrigue the former Blue Jays pitcher who’s only been to the postseason twice across nine MLB seasons.
Now with Stroman officially becoming a free agent, let’s look at three teams who could sign the right-handed pitcher.
San Francisco Giants add a big name
The Giants have been swinging for the fences in free agency for a few years now, trying to add several big names that could help them make a postseason push. Stroman is far from the biggest attraction on the 2023 MLB free agency market, yet he still raises the ceiling of a San Francisco pitching staff that struggled to get punchouts last season.
If Stroman can regain his All-Star form from the first half of last season, when he limited opponents to a batting average of just .205, the Giants would suddenly have a formidable top of the rotation led by Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Stroman.
Related: Projecting top MLB landing spots for each free agent this offseason
Boston Red Sox bolster pitching corps
Coming off missing the postseason for the second year in a row, the Red Sox need to make several changes to the roster. But one area that absolutely must improve is the pitching staff, which ranked 11th out of 15 AL teams in ERA in 2023.
While Chris Sale was a letdown, the Red Sox will still want to add veteran experience to what’s mostly a young pitching staff. That’s where Stroman can provide a steady presence, and the Red Sox have looked into adding the ground-ball pitcher before. Plus, joining the Red Sox gives him a chance to get revenge on Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who once said Stroman wasn’t a “difference-maker.”
Related: Shohei Ohtani free agency sweepstakes may involve 10 teams, but there’s already one frontrunner
Los Angeles Dodgers address needs with Marcus Stroman
The Dodgers always have both eyes fixated on the postseason, but they haven’t had enough pitching depth to reach the World Series in recent time. Injuries are unpredictable. There’s nothing anyone could have done to prevent Clayton Kershaw being limited to 131 innings in 2023, but this goes to show how important it is to have quality pitching depth throughout the rotation.
Once the Dodgers got to their third, fourth, and fifth starters, their odds of receiving a quality start dropped drastically. With Stroman on the staff, they’d have Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, and Stroman to help stabilize the rotation. That’s much better than what Los Angeles closed out the season with.
