MLB Rumors: Dark horse suitor for Marcus Stroman revealed

There have been conflicting reports about who does and doesn't have interest in Marcus Stroman. Right now, it would appear the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are logical candidates based on positional need and money. But, another dark horse threat has emerged, per FanSided's Robert Murray.

The Los Angeles Angels are "at least possible" as a Stroman destination, Murray reported in a recent episode of 'The Baseball Insiders' podcast. Los Angeles has been hailed as a dark horse for several intriguing free agents at this point, from Blake Snell to Cody Bellinger. It would appear there's a real appetite in the front office to improve following Shohei Ohtani's disheartening cross-town relocation.

Stroman, 31, made his second All-Star appearance last season with the Chicago Cubs. It was a tale of two halves, however, as Stroman started the campaign strong before multiple injuries derailed him down the stretch. In 27 appearances (25 starts), Stroman went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.259 WHIP.

The Angels, who are currently staring down the barrel at Reid Detmers as their Opening Day starter, would surely benefit from Stroman's arrival.

Angels dubbed 'dark horse' to land Marcus Stroman in MLB free agency

With Stroman, the primary concerns are twofold. He needs to stay healthy and he needs to stay happy. Stroman elicited controversy last season when he took to social media to comment on the lack of contract talks with Chicago's front office. The Cubs responded courteously, but there was palpable tension in the organization regarding Stroman's future.

All signs point toward Stroman leaving Chicago, although the Cubs still need another quality arm to pair with Justin Steele atop the rotation. The Angels probably can't expect Stroman to compete for Cy Young honors, but he's a viable All-Star candidate when healthy.

Stroman isn't equipped with elite power behind his pitches. His average fastball speed is 91.5 MPH, per Baseball Savant, and he only registered 119 strikeouts in 136.2 innings pitched last season. Where Stroman thrives is setting up the defense. His groundball percentage (57.4) ranked in the MLB's 94th percentile. His barrel percentage (5.0) was in the 88th percentile. Stroman avoids the meat of the bat and he keeps balls inside the park — often inside the infield. His ability to do so limits explosive hits and caters to a quality defense. So long as the Angels are confident in their defense's ability to back up Stroman, he's quite sensible as a (relatively affordable) top-line ace.

The righty, all of 5-foot-7, is one of the most unique pitchers in all of baseball. Los Angeles is not favored to do much of anything next season, but with Mike Trout still under contract, there's pressure not to entirely waste one of the greatest players in baseball history. The Angels have a beloved new manager in Ron Washington and the financial power to upgrade the roster when determined. Stroman would immediately elevate the starting rotation.