SF Giants "absolutely do have interest" in oft-connected starting pitcher

The SF Giants are out on the NPB pitcher Shōta Imanaga, but they could be turning their attention to another pitcher who makes a lot of sense - Marcus Stroman. Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Monday that the Giants "absolutely do have interest" in the veteran pitcher.

SF Giants "absolutely do have interest" in oft-connected starting pitcher

On the Baseball Insiders podcast, Murray along with co-host Adam Weinrib discussed Stroman in the context of the Giants' reported standing with Imanaga. In that, he confirmed that the Giants do have interest in not only Imanaga, but Stroman as well. This is not the first time Murray has made the connection between Stroman and the Giants this winter.

The right-handed hurler is a free agent after declining his $21 million player option for 2025. He spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. This included a solid 2023 campaign in which he posted a 3.95 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.25 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, and a 2.29 SO/W ratio in 27 appearances for the Cubs.

Stroman was well on his way to earning a very nice payday in free agency. He tallied a 2.88 ERA through his first 20 appearances in 2023, but sustained a fractured rib that seemed to have impacted his performance. In his final seven appearances on the year, he struggled to the tune of an 11.00 ERA while seeing his ERA spike by over one point.

The 32-year-old pitcher's workload has declined in recent seasons due to bouts in the injured list, but he has made at least 25 starts in six of the last seven full seasons.

On the mound, Stroman does a lot of what the Giants like in a pitcher. He typically fills up the strike zone while keeping the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. Interestingly, the 2023 season was a below-average season for Stroman in terms of command.

He did induce a ground ball in 57.1 percent of batted ball events, which ranked third in baseball among pitchers with at least 100 innings. The two in front of him were Logan Webb and Alex Cobb. Similarly, Stroman excels at limiting home runs and was second in baseball (0.59 HR/9) in terms of home run rate last year.

There is a good chance that Stroman still receives a lucrative deal in free agency. The Giants have been connected to the right-handed hurler this offseason while the front office still looks for one more reliable starter to add to the mix.