Marcus Stroman clearly isn't letting the news that he won't get a contract extension from the Cubs get his work ethic down.
On Saturday, as Marcus Stroman and the Chicago Cubs were waiting for the rain to clear up so they could take on the Cleveland Guardians at Wrigley Field, Ken Rosenthal reported that Stroman's wishes of a contract extension are going to be denied.
Stroman has been vocal about his desire to stay with the Cubs organization. He has pitched like a Cy Young front-runner for most of the year in what can be a contract year if he so chooses. There is one year remaining on his deal, but he has an opt-out after this season that allows him to enter the open market this winter.
After this season, he will surely do that to secure what could be the last big deal of his career, depending on length.
The Cubs, however, are in a tricky spot. They've committed money recently to Jameson Taillon (offseason signing) and Ian Happ (early-season extension), contracts that haven't completely panned out. Stroman's age creates trepidation and pause over the possibility that the contract will be viewed as a bad one in the span of a few years.
Clearly, Stroman disagrees with that sentiment.
Marcus Stroman sends cryptic Tweet just hours after MLB rumors come out on his contract
Early Sunday morning, Stroman did what he does and jumped to Twitter to share some thoughts.
"Process oriented for longevity." Stroman's relatively cryptic Tweet read.
There are a couple of ways we could read this. Stroman gave up five earned runs (despite seven strikeouts) on Saturday, so perhaps it's an indication that he's motivated to bounce back from the tough start.
He admitted his routine was shot after the three-hour rain delay.
"It's hard. Everything just kinda goes out the window and you kinda just go out there and compete honestly," Stroman said to press after the game when asked about how the rain delay hurt the preparation.
Or, looking at the broader picture, one could theorize that Stroman is talking about the longevity of his career. That's more what I think he's referring to.
After all, it's not entirely fair that Stroman's excellence isn't earning him a contract extension because of the typical decline of pitchers around his age. He's a pitcher that is anything but typical.
Stroman, though, does not seem rattled. He'll keep his preparation the same and try to stick around as a dominant starter as long as he can, extension or not. He'll earn a good contract for his performance this season, whether on the Northside of Chicago or elsewhere.
