MLB Rumors: Marcus Stroman, Cubs Have Held Preliminary Contract Extension Talks

The Chicago Cubs and Marcus Stroman reportedly held preliminary discussions about a contract extension this spring, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The starting pitcher signed with the team before the 2022 season and has a player option for 2024, but his intentions are to remain with the franchise long term.

"I've been open with the front office here, been very vocal that I want to be here and I want an extension, that I don't want to honestly make it to free agency," Stroman told Lee. "But I'm also very confident in my abilities in free agency. I've always bet on myself."

The team started negotiations with Stroman before the season, but talks have not continued since it started. Chicago reached an extension with outfielder Ian Happ in April, and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at the time he didn't see the organization negotiating with anyone else during the season, per Lee.

However, it appears that Chicago could make an exception for Stroman.

The 32-year old has had a strong start to the season, earning a 2.28 ERA across eight starts. His efforts have helped the Cubs staff to the second-best ERA in the NL at 3.49.

He praised the organization and stated his desire to stay a Cub for the remainder of his big league career:

"I truly love everything about this organization. Being someone who's [going into] year 10 in the big leagues, I value that. And I love going out into the buzz at Wrigley every time I go out pitch every fifth day. The organization top down, how they handle the players, how they handle the families, how they operate, I love everything about it. So, I would love to be a Cub for, honestly, the rest of my career, and sign one more deal and be done."

The right-hander spent the first five-plus years of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays before he was traded to the New York Mets at the 2019 deadline. He has a 3.56 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 1,214.1 major league innings.

The Cubs are third in the NL Central at 19-19, while Stroman's next scheduled start is set for Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.