Did star pitcher just list SF Giants as a potential destination?
By Jeff Young
Miami Marlins v New York Mets - Game One / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages
The SF Giants are set to rebuild the starting rotation this offseason and they appear to be aggressively surveying the free-agent market for help. One name that has recently emerged is star pitcher Marcus Stroman.
None of the national writers have connected Stroman to the Giants in particular. However, in an odd quirk, Stroman himself listed the Giants as a potential destination on his Twitter account. The other teams he identified include the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox.
It is no surprise to see the Giants connected to Stroman given that they will need to add at least four new starters to the 40-man roster this offseason.
The right-handed hurler was originally drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He debuted with the Blue Jays in 2014 where he registered a 3.65 ERA across 130.2 frames in a strong rookie campaign.
He was shipped to the New York Mets at the 2019 trade deadline in a move that sent a pair of prospects including Simeon Woods Richardson and Anthony Kay to Toronto.
The 30-year-old is reaching free agency at an opportune time as he just completed a strong season on the mound. The right-hander recorded a 3.02 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, and a strong 3.59 SO/W ratio in 179 innings last year.
The Giants excelled in command as the pitching staff led baseball with a 3.43 SO/W ratio in 2021, so adding a pitcher like Stroman meshes with the team's philosophy.
Stroman has proven to be a durable and effective arm as he has made at least 30 starts four times in seven seasons since his debut. He does not rely on power velocity as his fastball sits comfortable in the lower 90's but he generates above-average spin and he pairs it with a quality slider.
However, signing the seven-year veteran will come at a cost. Fortunately, that cost will not include draft pick compensation as Stroman was issued a qualifying offer last offseason and accepted. He was not eligible to be issued one this year as players can only be made a qualifying offer once in their career.
MLB Trade Rumors is predicting that he will score a five-year, $110 million deal in free agency, so any team that signs him will be making a significant investment. That team could include the Giants as Stroman has indicated. He clearly has a robust market and the Giants will need to weigh the benefits of adding an arm like his against the financial costs of getting into a bidding war.