Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman put up yet another quality start in Saturday’s win over the Boston Red Sox, but with the MLB trade deadline just over two weeks away, he’s still having to discuss his future with the North Siders.
Stroman, who has an opt-out clause in his contract after the season, has repeatedly said he wants to stay in Chicago, but he also says that he recognizes the realities of business in Major League Baseball, and he’s ready for whatever comes next.
“I know (Cody Bellinger) wants to stay, and I know I would love to stay here, but a lot of that is out of our control,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a business and we have to treat it as such, even though we have a lot of love for this fanbase and this organization. I love being a Cub. I love everything about it.”
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Stroman has a 10-6 record and a 2.88 ERA this season, with 101 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched.
He has made no secret about his desire to stay with the Cubs, and even said Saturday that if he were to leave via trade this summer that he would be open to coming back to Chicago.
“No matter what happens, I would hope they would be in the mix in the offseason when it comes to my free agency,” he said.
He also questioned the wisdom of selling assets in a “wide open” division that appears winnable in 2023, but also said that such moves could have repercussions on the future competitiveness of the Cubs.
MLB
“As an organization, why would you not want to be competitive year after year? Bellinger is a guy that has changed your lineup. Why would you want him to get away,” he said. “Why would you want to get rid of a guy like myself that gives you quality starts in a league where it’s incredibly hard to do it?”
Entering Sunday, the Cubs remain seven games behind the Brewers in the National League Central despite being the only team in the division with a positive run-differential on the season.