Classify this as spending intelligently.
The Cubs have signed Marcus Stroman, the right-hander tweeted Wednesday, bringing one of the best starting pitchers on this offseason’s free agent market to the North Side.
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It’s the Cubs’ biggest addition not only so far this offseason, but their biggest in nearly four winters. They signed Yu Darvish to a six-year deal at the start of spring training in February 2018.
The Cubs entered this winter with a priority to improve their pitching staff and upgrade the starting rotation. Stroman, who turns 31 next May, checks that box as a durable top-of-the-rotation arm.
Boston Red Sox
Stroman, an All-Star in 2019 and Gold Glove winner in 2017, holds a career 3.63 ERA in seven seasons between the Blue Jays and Mets. He’s coming off an impressive season in Queens in which he led MLB in starts (33), finishing with a 3.02 ERA and 1.145 WHIP in 179 innings.
He’s made 32+ starts four times in the last five full seasons. Stroman opted out of the pandemic-shortened 60-game 2020 season.
Stroman doesn’t rely on high-90s velocity to get batters out. He's effective at inducing groundballs and primarily has a four-pitch mix (sinker, slider, split finger fastball and cutter) with an ability to throw two more (four-seamer and curveball).
He was a Cubs trade target during their rebuild pre-2016 and now is a key piece as they try to build their next championship contender.
The Boston Red Sox were one of the teams interested in signing the right-hander in free agency before the deal was put in place with the Cubs.