Star pitcher lauded SF Giants front office for "approach and mindset"

After a franchise-record 107-win season, the SF Giants organization has been highly praised throughout baseball. A seven-year veteran and current Chicago Cubs pitcher recently heaped praise on the SF Giants front office.

Star pitcher lauded SF Giants front office for "approach and mindset"

Marcus Stroman signed a three-year, $71 million contract with the Cubs hours before the lockout was instituted. It was a frustrating moment for many Giants fans as that is the type of deal that the organization could have easily absorbed. With that being said, Stroman recognized that the Giants put their best foot forward:

This would indicate that the Giants expressed interest in the right-handed hurler to round out their rotation, but he went in a different direction. Nevertheless, Stroman came away impressed with the Giants' "approach and mindset" in how the organization is run.

In the end, he signed a lucrative deal with the Cubs, but the impression the Giants gave off will likely bode well for future free agents. In recent years, the front office has proven that they can help pitchers re-establish value with Kevin Gausman being one of the more recent examples.

As currently constructed, the Giants will begin the year with a rotation that includes Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Alex Cobb. There is still one opening in the rotation and Stroman would have filled that void well.

On paper, he seemed like a great fit for the pitching staff. In 2021, the 30-year-old pitcher registered a 3.02 ERA, 3.49 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, and a 3.59 SO/W ratio across 179 innings. This included a stout 50.8 percent ground ball rate in batted ball events.

The Giants like pitchers who can pitch effectively in the strike zone (3.69 S)/W ratio) while inducing weak contact (50.8% GB rate). There are not many pitchers in baseball who post numbers like those, but Wood (3.90 SO/W ratio, 50.8% GB rate) and Webb (4.03 SO/W ratio, 60.9% GB rate) are close in comparison.

Plus, the Giants need another workhorse in the rotation and Stroman has made over 30 starts in four of the last five seasons. Given the length of the contract (three years) and his age (30), it is a good bet that Stroman remains effective in a Cubs uniform. It sounds like the front office presented itself well, but the Giants remain on the lookout for a durable starter in a market that is growing thin.