(670 The Score) Cubs ace Marcus Stroman revealed over the weekend that the team has rebuffed his efforts to begin contract extension negotiations, but in the mind of 670 The Score afternoon host Danny Parkins, that doesn’t seem like the full story.
Parkins believes the Cubs are interested but playing more of a waiting game.
“I’m not convinced that he’s 100% telling the truth,” Parkins said. “Does it make any sense to you? His agent has reached out to the Cubs and they just have heard nothing back? What are they, in a darkness retreat? That doesn’t sound like them. They’ve heard nothing back? That’s the official stance? I don’t know that I believe that. They might be saying, ‘Listen, we need to see where we’re at this season before (a decision), we need to see how competitive we are four weeks from now before we start committing significant payroll dollars toward next year because it’s possible we’re too far out of this and it’s going to be in our best interest long term to get three pieces that can help us and then we’d love to sign Marcus again in the offseason.'
“I can’t imagine that Jed (Hoyer) is leaving Marcus Stroman’s agent unread.”
Stroman, 32, has been brilliant this season, going 7-4 with a 2.42 ERA and National League-best 1.04 WHIP. He’s in the second season of a three-year, $71-million contract, which includes a player option for 2024 that he’s almost certain to decline as he has been one of MLB’s best pitchers. Stroman could command a lucrative contract in free agency, but he has emphasized on multiple occasions that his desire is to remain with the Cubs on an extension.
On the Cubs’ end, there’s a key question they need to ask themselves, Parkins said.
“If I was Jed, I’d be asking myself this question – ‘Are we going to be competitive in the next two years? Are we playing in playoff games in the next two years?’” Parkins said. “If the answer to that is yes, then I think you need to sign Marcus Stroman.
“But I wonder if there’s any doubt about it. Because if they don’t, if they trade Marcus Stroman for prospects, this offseason – let’s say they pick up Kyle Hendricks’ option. So Kyle Hendricks is on the team for next year, Jameson Taillon is on the team for next year, Justin Steele is on the team for next year. That’s not a playoff rotation.”
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