Report: SF Giants ‘absolutely’ interested in Cubs free agent Marcus Stroman

As the SF Giants continue looking for upgrades, they "absolutely" have interest in Chicago Cubs free agent RHP Marcus Stroman, per FanSided's Robert Murray.

Steven Rissotto | Jan 8, 2024

Report: SF Giants ‘absolutely’ interested in Cubs free agent Marcus Stroman /

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While the SF Giants may be the current front runners for Japanese free agent left-hander Shōta Imanaga (#12-ranked free agent), they continue . the SF Giants are still linked to other possible starting rotation options on the open market and “absolutely” have interest in free-agent righty Marcus Stroman (#16-ranked free agent), according to FanSided’s Robert Murray on an episode of The Baseball Insiders podcast on YouTube released on Monday. Murray acknowledged San Francisco's interest in Imanaga but was not confident enough to call them favorites. However, he made sure to highlight the team's interest in Stroman.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman delivers a pitch against the SF Giants on June 9, 2023. — The SF Giants are linked to right-hander Marcus Stroman / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

“I know one pitcher they absolutely do have interest in is Marcus Stroman,” Murray said. "Stroman is someone who’s had a very interesting free agency this year so far because [of] the fact there’s been hardly any buzz with him. There’s been a lot of different things about other pitchers but with Stroman, it’s really been rather quiet. But the Giants are interested in Stroman. They’re casting a rather wide net in that starting pitching search.”

Stroman, 32, received his second-career All-Star selection in 2023, his second season with the Chicago Cubs. He was dominant in the first half of the season, posting a 2.96 ERA in 112.2 innings pitched. However, a mid-August rib cartilage fracture sidelined Stroman for much of the second half and led him to finish the season in a different role.

A former first-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, Stroman has been a consistent mid-rotation starter across nine MLB seasons. In 1303.2 innings pitched between stints with the Blue Jays, Mets, and Cubs, Stroman has recorded a 3.65 ERA with 1091 strikeouts and 376 walks.

At his best, Marcus Stroman profiles as a mid-rotation arm with the potential for top of the rotation upside. A sinkerballer, he has a strong ability to produce ground balls, ranking third in MLB in ground ball rate last season only behind SF Giants starter Logan Webb and Alex Cobb. In fact, Webb and Stroman's similarities as pitchers has long led the duo to share effusive praise for each other.

Published Jan 8, 2024

STEVEN RISSOTTO

Steven Rissotto (he/him) is an award-winning journalist who currently covers the San Francisco Giants for SFBay.ca and Giants Baseball Insider. At 19-years-old in 2021, he joined SF Bay Media as the Giants beat writer, covering games a few times a week during the Giants’ record-setting 107-win season. Along with his game story coverage he is also the host of RizzoCast, a baseball podcast he founded in 2020 that features interviews with professional and amateur baseball players, coaches, media, fans, and everyone else around the game. Past guests have included Tyler Glasnow, Bob Kendrick, Shawn Estes, Bill Laskey, Renel Brooks Moon, Dave Dravecky, Ned Colletti, Denard Span, Ron Wotus, Joe Maddon, J.T. Snow and more. He is also a co-host with Tylor Hall on the Shutdown Inning Podcast, a show focused on all the latest happenings around the baseball world. Both podcasts are available on YouTube and everywhere podcasts are found. Currently, he is a student at San Francisco State University where he is majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in print/online and minoring in education. At SF State, he is the managing editor for Golden Gate Xpress, the student-run newspaper. He was formerly a member of the newspaper at Skyline College, where he served as editor-in-chief and news editor while also writing sports and features. He was formerly a student-journalist at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, where he pitched for the baseball team and covered some of the biggest stories in campus history. This includes a new multi-sports facility on campus, the breaking news coverage of Riordan’s coed announcement and the COVID-19 pandemic. Steven is well-respected by his peers and has been honored numerous times by Student Newspapers Online, JEA, ACP, and the California Publishing Association. In 2021, he finished second in the country for Reporter of the Year for ACP among the two-year college schools.