The Philadelphia Phillies may be nibbling around the edges in free agency, but this pitcher could be a possibility.
In free agency, former All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman has struggled to land a deal. That might soon change. Additionally, a possible landing location would be the Philadelphia Phillies.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto off the market, Stroman is starting to draw more attention, according to a Sunday MLB.com report. According to Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, the team will be snooping around in the remaining free agency, even if Blake Snell is still the best starter available.
Is Stroman eligible? Perhaps, perhaps not. However, the market has dropped enough that interest in the former Cubs starter is increasing.
The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, and Baltimore Orioles are among the teams who are interested in signing him, according to MLB.com.
Regarding the Phillies, MLB Network was informed by another MLB.com reporter, Jon Morosi, that the team was “a really good possibility.”
The Phillies would gain another competent starter in Stroman to complement Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker, and Cristopher Sánchez. One of those starters might end up in the bullpen if Stroman signs.
In 2023, Stroman had two distinct seasons. He made 19 starts in the first half, going 9–6 with a 2.19 ERA, 98 strikeouts, and 41 walks.
However, he started to perform worse following the All-Star Break. Due to two injuries—one of which was an unusual fracture of the right rib cartilage—he missed over a month of play. He only made eight appearances, going 1-3 in 24 innings pitched with an 8.63 ERA.
After nine years of Major League Baseball play, Stroman has a 77-76 record and a 3.65 ERA. He has been selected for two All-Star teams: Toronto and Chicago.
Although he made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2014, his tenure with the New York Mets in 2019 and 2021 has given him experience playing against the Phillies.