With the trade deadline looming, is there a possibility that Marcus Stroman's heavy campaigning for a Cubs extension is a bit of a bluff?
35 days until the MLB trade deadline. But who's counting?
Marcus Stroman, for one thing. He has been clamoring for a contract extension all season, letting it be known that his preference is to stay in Chicago. So far, no action on that front.
Though his aggressive pursuit of an extension might imply he would walk this offseason if the Cubs don't extend him now, might that be a bluff?
We look into that and more in today's MLB rumors roundup.
Phillies fan favorite is available again
Nick Maton was optioned by the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Maton was a member of the Phillies "daycare" quartet in 2022 and put forth an OPS 40 percent above the league average with a .250/.341/.514 slash line.
Maton, however, has struggled a lot in Detroit, with an OPS nearly 40 percent worse than the league average. In nearly double the number of games he appeared in 2022, Maton has just six more RBI and 21 additional total bases.
It's unclear what will be next for Maton, but teams looking to take a midseason flier that could use some infield help could look to him to fill the role. As for a Philly reunion, who knows? Second base and shortstop are secured, but the Phillies could give him some run at third base. Edmundo Sosa's bat has been poor, too. Sosa, though, is a stronger fielder at third base. Maton had seven errors at third this year.
Reds have an extension to make but have had no conversations about it
The Cincinnati Reds are playing some incredible baseball. They are, shockingly (based on preseason predictions, anyway), a half-game back from the lead in the NL Central and have been jockeying back and forth with the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title for the last week or so. They've spent nine days in first of the central so far this season, after being as far as 8.5 games back from the lead earlier this season.
At 7-3 in their last 10 games, the Reds won 12 games in a row before dropping three straight to the Braves this weekend. But let's be honest, it's the Braves, who very well could win the World Series this season. There are no moral victories, but the Reds lost by one run in two of their losses to the Braves. Not bad for such a young and budding team.
Cincinnati is exciting and really coming around. These sorts of turnarounds are frequently credited to quality coaching and management, so one would think manager David Bell is a shoo-in for a contract extension, right?
Not so fast, at least not yet. Reds general manager Nick Krall said the team doesn't plan to talk about an extension until after the season.
"I think we'll just talk about playing through the year and addressing it later," Reds general manager Nick Krall told MLB.com on Monday. "At this point, we haven't done anything."
It seems like everyone believes in the Reds except… The Reds? Perhaps the Braves series has stalled talks there. The Reds have come forth quicker than expected, so it's also possible that Krall hasn't been given ownership approval just yet to make big spending decisions since the ascension has been somewhat surprising.
Is Marcus Stroman's push for contract extension a bluff?
Marcus Stroman has been transparent as heck all season long. He's been vocal about his love for playing at Wrigley Field and for the Cubs, and wants to come back. Coming back, though, involves a contract extension, since Stroman can become a free agent this offseason if he so chooses, thanks to the player option on the final year of his deal.
A Cy Young candidate in the National League this season, the Cubs have a decision to make with essentially three paths. The first path is the one that gets Stroman what he wants and keeps him at Wrigley for years to come.
The second path is that the Cubs trade him, cashing in while his value is sky-high. The thinking here is that Stroman, 32 years old, might be on the decline soon. Cashing in at the apex of his value would be ideal from a long-term team-building perspective, in theory.
The third path is that the Cubs hold onto him. This one involves a fair bit of risk, but it leads us into the topic at-hand here… Is Stroman bluffing?
Stroman's clamoring for an extension all season long is a hint (albeit, not a guarantee or an explicit statement) that he would walk this offseason if he doesn't get an extension now. After all, off his impressive performance this year, he could have any number of suitors offering him long-term deals for substantial earnings.
Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, in a recent mailbag, said he felt Stroman would be willing to re-sign with the Cubs in the offseason. He "doubted" he would be entirely unwilling even if an extension isn't offered.
Sharma isn't reporting anything here, but his insider insight is important, and it tracks. Stroman, if he authentically loves playing in Chicago, why wouldn't he re-sign this offseason if the Cubs don't trade him and simply let his contract expire? Sure, players can sour over relationships with front offices even if they would prefer to stick around, but why give up a good thing if the Cubs offer in free agency is on-par with the market?
