Chicago Cubs: Marcus Stroman signing makes no sense on its own

The Chicago Cubs are having a very interesting offseason. They were a terrible baseball team in 2021 which forced them to trade away superstars like Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and Craig Kimbrel. Now, after looking like they might try to rebuild, they are sending a very strange message as they signed Marcus Stroman to a contract.

The Cubs are bringing Stroman in on a three-year contract that is worth 71 million dollars. There is an opt-out after the second year along with some incentives. The deal would pay him 25 million in each of the first two years and 21 million in the third year if he opts in. He would also get two million extra if he reaches 160 innings in 2022 and 2023. All in all, it is a very good deal for the player.

However, as mentioned before, it is a very strange deal for the Chicago Cubs. It is a nice contract but only adding Stroman to this team is just weird. It isn’t like the Cubs were a starter away from division title contention. Sure, joining Kyle Hendricks, Wade Miley, and Adbert Alzolay could form a nice rotation but there are some question marks there along with a suspect offense.

The Cubs need to make a few more moves in order for this to really make sense. Until then, it simply doesn’t. The only offseason moves they made up that point were Yan Gomes and Clint Frazier. Gomes is a veteran catcher that caused speculation that the Cubs would trade Willson Contreras and Frazier is a former first-round pick that has been a bust.

The Chicago Cubs made a strange decision to sign Marcus Stroman before the lockout.

A lot of people thought the Cubs were rebuilding based on the way that they’ve done business lately but now they spent a lot of money on a frontline starter. Winning the NL Central over the St. Louis Cardinals or Milwaukee Brewers still feels unlikely. This isn’t a team that has been pushed over the edge.

Now, there were rumors that they are one of the teams in on Carlos Correa. That would also be a step towards being a good team again but would it put them over the edge of being a playoff team? That can be debated. Unfortunately, the league is in a lockout now and you never know when the CBA will be negotiated again. Once it is, you never know how that affects players or teams’ decisions.

It is, however,  nice to see the Cubs try by spending money. The best way to get better is by adding players. However, this move can’t make sense unless there are other moves to follow. When baseball comes back from the lockout, it will be interesting to see what they do.