Chicago Cubs make unexpected splash, sign Marcus Stroman

Early Wednesday afternoon, Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score put Chicago Cubs fans on high alert with just one tweet related to right-hander Marcus Stroman. Hours later, those hours of refreshing Twitter endlessly paid off, with Stroman himself breaking news of his signing with the team.

This move marks a drastic pivot from the types of moves we’ve seen from Chicago to this point in the offseason and sends us into the lockout with hope for 2022 and beyond. Perhaps more shocking than the signing itself is the contract terms, a three-year, $71 million deal that keeps long-term payroll clear while immediately bolstering the rotation.

Stroman, funnily enough, has never pitched a game at Wrigley Field. But that will obviously change next season. He’s a guy who loves the energy and excitement of a fanbase behind him – and we know what the Confines are like at 1:20 on a Friday afternoon.

The veteran hurler is coming off one of his best seasons to-date. Stroman had a 3.02 ERA in 33 games pitched and posted the lowest WHIP of his career in a full season at 1.145. Needless to say Stroman will be an anchor atop the Cubs rotation for at least the next three years.

Chicago Cubs send a message with the unexpected Marcus Stroman signing

An addition like Stroman signals just maybe the Cubs have some intention to contend for a postseason spot in 2022. The right-hander is also an extremely marketable player and can easily signal to other players around the league that the Cubs are a plausible free agent destination.

Cubs Twitter spent the day endlessly lobbying Stroman – and pitcher Adbert Alzolay got in on the fun shortly before it became official, too.

We’re going to have plenty of more to talk about when it comes to the deal. But for now, let’s soak it in. We haven’t had a free agent signing that involves this much hype in a long time. Welcome to the North Side, Marcus!