Marcus Stroman is a fiery and elite box office pitcher. A guy that fans come out to see. The nine-year veteran arm is savvy with his use of pitch speeds and locations and he’s not afraid to take the mound in a clutch situation.
Stroman has pitched in two of the biggest markets in the country. New York and Chicago. He was successful in stints with both clubs and definitely brought a presence to the mound and an identity to the team. He’s not easily shaking on the mound, and he loves to throw a sinker, which leads to him perennially being among the top three MLB pitchers in groundball percentage.
Just a few of the many attributes that make Stroman a top pitcher in the free agency.
Last season Stroman earned his second All-Star appearance since 2019. With a winning 10-9 record, a solid ERA of 3.95 with 119 strikeouts in 2023, along with his track record of success, you’d think Stroman would have suitors in abundance. At one point last season, he was leading the league in ERA and arguably the best pitcher in the entire division.
Despite the solid season, there are still some concerns about him. Stroman has had a few injuries in the past; a right shoulder, right hip, and rib cage cartilage. These mounting roadblocks have some clubs questioning his ability to compete at an All-Star level.
MLB Team That’s Serious Fit For Marcus Stroman?
Here are a few teams that can use Stroman services, such as the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Baltimore Orioles.
LA Angels
Let’s look at the Angles that took a big blow with losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers. The Angels need any star power and charisma they can get, and the area could be a great landing spot for Stroman with his history of playing in big markets. At the very least he will raise the visibility of the team’s social media engagement and that’s important as they lose attention with the $700M Man now rocking Dodger Blue.
Another reason is that he has a relationship with the GM Perry Minasian. Minasian was a scout when Stroman was a rising star for the Toronto Blue Jays.
LA Dodgers
When looking at the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have an exciting team with the new addition of Shohei Ohtani in the off season, but Ohtani is not pitching this upcoming season and Clayton Kershaw is a year older and Julio Urias ended his career with the Dodgers with a second potential domestic violence infraction last September.
In 2019 he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and served a 20-game suspension. In addition, future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is 35 and coming off shoulder surgery, so the rotation still needs shaping, even with the addition of Tyler Glasnow.
Despite dealing with some injuries in the past, Stro Show keeps his small frame in immaculate shape so overall, he is a very durable player who’s made more than 25 starts in each of his six seasons for the Blue Jays, Mets, and Cubs.
He’s an automatic quality start, and with a lineup featuring three former MVPs behind him, he could have a career year while bringing availability and that is the best ability.
All these reasons make the City of Angels a potential landing spot for Stroman.
Baltimore Orioles
Finally, when looking at the Baltimore Orioles, they won 101 wins last season. Stroman would bring an All-Star presence to the Orioles, who have rising stars on the team but lack a household name, outside of Cedric Mullins.
Stroman would embrace pitching huge games against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Tampa Bays Rays. Another reason why the Orioles makes sense is that they currently have the lowest total payroll ranking 29th out of 30 teams, with a payroll of $35,985,000 according to MLB team payroll tracker.
Ultimately, the outcome of Stroman’s free agency would have an impact not only on his career but also for the team fortunate enough to secure his services. Stroman is everything that an organization wants in a fiery competitor that is still trying to prove that he hasn’t lost a step.
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