Cubs take stance on Marcus Stroman extension talks: report originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman is currently on the shelf with fractured cartilage in his rib cage, but the issue of his future with the team remains up for debate.
Stroman is currently in the second year of a three-year contract with the Cubs, and has an opt-out clause at the end of the season, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, that possibility is not one that troubles the Cubs, as they’ve already made a firm decision on whether to offer him a new deal.
“The Cubs say they have no intention to offer starter Marcus Stroman a contract extension after the season,” the report says.
What’s more, the Cubs aren’t sure Stroman will opt out of the deal, with a $21 million payday coming if he remains on the North Side for the 2024 season.
Stroman got off to a red-hot start to the season, with quality starts in 14 of his first 16 trips to the mound. After his June 20 start against the Pirates, Stroman had a 9-4 record and a 2.28 ERA, and was considered one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award.
Since then, his ERA has ballooned to 3.85, and he had just one quality start in his last seven starts before going on the injured list with a hip injury in early August.
Stroman was initially expected to miss only one start for the Cubs, but he was diagnosed with fractured rib cartilage in the right part of his rib cage prior to the start of the team’s series against the White Sox, and there is no timetable for his return.
Throughout this season, there have been discussions of whether Stroman would opt out of his deal, or whether the Cubs would trade him before the deadline. The hurler has said he’s willing to explore free agency, but that he also would be willing to negotiate a new contract with the Cubs, but the North Siders have maintained a patient approach to the situation, and now appear to have made a decision to allow the matter to make it to November and to free agency.
In two seasons with the Cubs, Stroman has a 16-15 record with a 3.67 ERA, with 230 strikeouts in 267.1 innings of work.
