Stroman Stays Put

Lets face facts, this was a move that really made the most sense for all parties involved right now. Marcus Stroman has accepted the qualifying offer from the Mets, a one year deal worth $18.9 million. The right hander, who is from Medford, returns to the mound in Queens for at least one more season, after opting out of last year after calf issues and COVID concerns.

This is a great move for both Stroman and the Mets and leaves so much more open on the table for the Blue and Orange. From Stroman's point of view, this is big for a couple of reasons. He missed last year after opting out, a move which might have hurt his chances at finding a long term deal somewhere else this offseason. Because of the current climate surrounding the game, a lot of teams aren't exactly going to be ready to hand out massive contracts just yet. Most teams are going to play it safe in some moves. Which is why this was a big deal for the Mets. It adds more depth to the starting rotation, and it gives Stroman another opportunity to showcase his stuff this year.

He's coming off the injury and missing the entire year last year, short one that it was. Last season would have been a good audition for Stroman for both the Mets and the rest of the league. Its no secret that he wants a long term deal, anybody in baseball does these days. Stroman went 4-2 in his 11 starts with the Mets in the summer of 2019 and is 51-47 with a 3.76 career ERA. He has good stuff and knows how to control a game when he's on his game, there's  no doubt there. Would I put him in the same stratosphere as deGrom? No. But is he a solid two or three on a staff? Hell Yes!

The way I see it, this gives the Mets a good solid look at what they have in Stroman pitching here next year and it gives them first crack to sign him to a long term deal before he hits the market again next winter. From a Stroman point of view, this is an audition year for a long term deal whether it be the Mets or some other organization.

Its also worth noting from yesterday, a few big names turned down their qualifying offers from teams and will hit the free agent market. Trevor Bauer (NL Cy Young Winner), Kevin Gausman, DJ LeMahieu, J.T. Realmuto and George Springer all turned down their offers and will hit the market. With the Mets new ownership in place, and the expressed desire from said ownership to spend money on players, expect the team to try and go after some of those big name fish. Adding Stroman back into the mix may make things a lot more interesting to see how the Mets make moves on trying to improve the club before the start of next season.