MLB Rumors: Pete Alonso trade update, Stroman shocker, Guardians trade buzz
- Josh Naylor, Shane Bieber, Emmanuel Clase on trade block for Guardians
- Royals connected to free agent SP Marcus Stroman
- Mets 'will listen,' but no Pete Alonso trade talks yet
MLB Rumors: Royals take interest in Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman's rocky 2023 campaign with the Chicago Cubs made him one of the offseason's most interesting free agents. The market has been slow-moving, but expect signings to come fast and furious now that Shohei Ohtani is off the board. The next big domino left standing is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose $300 million bidding war could occupy several front offices — especially those keen to add pitchers.
There should be several teams interested in Stroman, who finished last season with a 3.95 ERA and 1.259 WHIP. He posted a 10-9 record with 119 strikeouts in 136.2 innings pitched. He made his second All-Star appearance (first since 2019), but a finger injury in June and a rib injury in August tanked the second half of Stroman's campaign.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Kansas City Royals are among the teams interested in the 32-year-old hurler.
Like to see the Royals looking at some of the better starters on the market. Lucas Giolito and Marcus Stroman appear to be on their radar, as are others.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 11, 2023
The Royals finished last season near the bottom of the American League, 56-106. Rotation help has been priority No. 1 for the Kansas City front office. Cole Ragans and Brady Singer are among the young arms currently slated to lead the Royals' pitching staff, but Kansas City posted the third-worst collective ERA in the league last season. Help is desperately needed.
Stroman probably isn't the No. 1 ace on a contender, but he's a proven vet who can pop when he's right. What he lacks in elite power at 5-foot-7 with a 91.5 MPH fastball, Stroman makes up for with a knack for keeping the ball inside the park. His 57.4 percent ground ball rate last season landed in the MLB's 94th percentile, per Baseball Savant. That ability to avoid explosive mistakes could pair nicely with Kansas City's inexperienced roster.