Marcus Stroman will pitch the 2022 season with the Chicago Cubs, after signing with them as a free agent before the lockout.
The right-hander inked a three-year, $71 million contract to pitch in Chicago, and he is thrilled about the idea of taking the mound at Wrigley Field and hearing some of the most electric fans in MLB cheer for him and his team.
Cubs announcer Jeremiah Paprocki, the voice of Wrigley Field, uploaded a video of him “testing” Stroman’s introduction.
The right-hander quoted the tweet and wrote “chills”, implying that he is eager for that moment to come: he wants to take the ball and pitch a home game, badly.
Chills. @Cubs https://t.co/6CF6yf3Dc6
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 29, 2022
Fans Want To See Stroman Take The Mound At Wrigley Field
Fans are excited about his arrival, as the Cubs’ rotation wasn’t exactly a strength last year.
This year’s unit is not a top one, but with Stroman, Drew Smyly, and Wade Miley as newcomers and Kyle Hendricks, Adbert Alzolay, and Alec Mills as returning pieces, it should be improved.
Stroman, 30, had a solid season in 2021 with the New York Mets, pitching 179 innings of a 3.02 ERA, improving his strikeout rate to 21.6 percent thanks, in large part, to the addition of a split-change that helped miss more bats.
He remains a sinkerballer, though, and that will help him a lot in Wrigley Field, a place in which groundballs are valuable.
The Cubs retooled during last year’s trade deadline and the second half, but made some high-profile additions in 2022 that suggest they may be contending, or at least trying to do so.
They brought in Stroman, Smyly, outfielder Seiya Suzuki, catcher Yan Gomes, and relievers David Robertson, Chris Martin, and Mychal Givens, among others.
Stroman’s performance will go a long way in determining how good the 2022 Cubs will be.
NEXT: Marcus Stroman Defends Will Smith After Oscars Drama
