Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman is offering players Rolex watches on Twitter

Over the last six months, Cubs fans watched almost all their favorite players leave town – so it’s really nice to see the new guy on the block, Marcus Stroman, quickly endearing himself to the fanbase in very authentic ways.

He’s showing the love not just to fans, but also fellow big league pitchers – replying to tweets from  Cleveland Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie and Atlanta Braves hurler Touki Toussaint, promising to buy them Rolex watches if they break 160 innings with a 3.70 ERA or lower in 2022.

Not that I knew this information off the top of my head or anything, but after doing some digging, I learned that Rolexes, on average go for around $10K a pop – with options that can drive their prices far, far higher than that. With the swagger Stroman has, it’s safe to assume he’s not rolling around with a basic model.

Given the ink is barely dry on his new two-year, $50 million pact that contains a player option for a third year, Stroman certainly has the resources to fulfill his promise with the two former top prospects. Throw in the fact he’s already netted nearly $50 million in his big league career, and, yeah, a $10,000 watch is nothing – but still an amazing gesture.

Chicago Cubs: Marcus Stroman incentivizing the next generation of pitchers

He’s not just throwing these out there, though. Neither Touusaint nor McKenzie have come anywhere close to 160 innings and a 3.70 ERA in their still-young careers. Touusaint, still just 25, has just 145 career MLB innings to his credit and he’s worked to a 5.46 ERA to this point. It’s safe to say that if he has a new Rolex come season’s end, it’ll be a major boost to the Braves’ chances of repeating as World Series champions.

As for McKenzie, he made 24 starts and one relief appearance in 2021, amassing 120 innings of 4.95 ERA ball for Cleveland. The lanky 24-year-old was taken by the Guardians with the 42nd overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft – and has shown some serious swing-and-miss stuff already.

But bringing it back to Stroman. The guy has quickly become a positive light on Cubs Twitter – and it’s going to be something special to see him take the mound at the Friendly Confines this season. It’s safe to say he’ll get quite the welcome from the Cubs faithful.