Why Marcus Stroman chose the Cubs, revealed

Marcus Stroman announced his signing with the Cubs on Twitter. Now the real work begins as the pitcher looks to lead the Chicago rotation immediately.

The Chicago Cubs rebuild took a big step in the right direction with the addition of starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Stroman was one of the top starting pitchers available in free agent and the clock was ticking for the Cubs to get a deal done with the lockdown imminent.

Why did Marcus Stroman pick the Cubs?

Stroman explained his reasoning for picking Chicago on Twitter. It was all about the city.

The city of Chicago has captured the imagination of many a baseball player. The hard part is figuring out how to make a positive impact at Wrigley Field despite all the pressure of representing that city.

The Cubs should be able to slot him into the number one spot in their rotation for 2022.

Cubs starting rotation with Marcus Stroman

1. Marcus Stroman
2. Kyle Hendricks
3. Wade Miley
4. Alex Mills
5. Adbert Alzolay
6. Justin Steele

Stroman is a solid workhorse to lead a rotation. He started 33 games for the Mets in 2021 with a 3.02 ERA, which ranked eighth in the NL. He ranked sixth in home runs per nine innings, limiting the damage available from opposing teams.

The Cubs will hope his 10-13 record was more a reflection of the Mets’ struggles than his fault. An even greater hope would be to see him get back to his All-Star form from 2019 after missing the 2020 season as a COVID opt-out.

Hendricks led the Cubs in 2021 with a 14-7 record while maintaining an ERA of 4.77. Trevor Williams was the only other regular starting pitcher with a winning record.

Stroman should be joined as a new face in the rotation by former Reds pitcher Wade Miley. The Cubs claimed him off waivers in November.

Alzolay, Mills and Steele pitched for the team in 2021. All are under 30 years old.