New York Mets: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Marcus Stroman’s return
Marcus Stroman returns to the New York Mets in 2021 with lots of excitement but also a little doubt.
The Steve Cohen era in New York began in a dramatic fashion. The newly appointed majority owner of the New York Mets had a legendary opening press conference in which he cast a clear vision for a future of winning. He also, much to the delight of Mets fans, stated his intentions of behaving more like a major market team by spending on top free agents. After an era defined by stinginess and ownership dysfunction under the Wilpon family, this was a breath of fresh air to the Mets faithful.
It was also encouraging to former Met and free agent pitcher Marcus Stroman. The former All-Star quickly took to Twitter to express his optimism in the team’s new ownership. He later accepted the Mets’ qualifying offer of a one-year, $18.9 million deal.
Will Stroman excel now that he’s locked in with the Mets? Will an additional season in Queens be enough to salvage the infamous trade that brought him from Toronto to New York? Here’s the good, bad, and ugly of Stroman’s return.
The Good
There’s a lot of good in this union. Stroman represents an important signing at a major position of need. MLB recently ranked him as the sixth-best free agent available in the 2020 offseason.
The former Blue Jay is projected to post somewhere in the realm of 175 innings to the tune of an ERA in the high threes and 140 strikeouts. He is also projected to win 11 games. This would be a massive plus for New York!
This level of production will be a critically important addition to a Mets team that was starved for quality innings from their starting staff. Injuries to Noah Syndergaard and poor performances by Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha left what was expected to be a strong rotation in shambles.
Jacob deGrom was his usual Cy Young caliber self. However, rookie David Peterson was the only other consistent starter throughout the season. Infusing Stroman into the mix automatically improves the prospects of this key unit. He should immediately slot into the number two spot in the rotation and bring a level of stability and veteran leadership. Add in the potential of a Syndergaard return, which is expected sometime in June, and the Mets will have reformed an elite three-headed monster.
It is also worth noting that his career reputation as a ground ball pitcher could be greatly aided by a bolstered defense. Andres Gimenez and his dynamic glove should receive consistent playing time in the infield. The team is also searching for upgrades at centerfield. They may potentially seek an upgrade at shortstop as well. If the universal DH is indeed retained, the team will be able to easily keep questionable defenders like Dom Smith off the field. If this is the case, Stroman will be primed for great success.
The Bad
Stroman is a really solid pitcher. But he is not considered to be one of the game’s elite options. His acceptance of the qualifying offer means that he will be the 16th highest-paid pitcher in 2021. One would be hard-pressed to find someone willing to argue his merit as a top 20 starter.
The New York native also has a unique skillset for a starting pitcher. As mentioned above, Stroman relies heavily on forcing ground balls. His effectiveness as a starter is dependent on this ability. While the Mets pursuit of players like George Springer, JT Realmuto, and Francisco Lindor would greatly boost the starter’s ceiling, there is a real chance that New York enters the 2021 season without landing any of the trio.
This could mean continued playing time for Amed Rosario. It would also result in JD Davis and Brandon Nimmo being forced to shift to unnatural positions. For the record, Nimmo was one of the worst defensive centerfielders after being forced into the full-time role in 2019. Davis, on the other hand, has an acceptable glove as a third baseman. However, his defensive metrics plummet when he attempts to shift to the outfield. Either represents a major liability in the field.
There is also a chance that the DH is not retained in the National League. This would force Dom Smith’s glove to plague the defense as a tradeoff to capitalize on his stellar offense. With Pete Alonso seemingly entrenched as the everyday first baseman, Smith would have no choice to occupy a corner outfield spot. This creates a long jam at a position already occupied by Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo. To make matter worse, Smith has proven to be a below-average defender at any outfield spot.
These factors may cap Stroman’s overall effectiveness. This is even more of a concern considering…
The Ugly
At the end of the day, the Mets’ trade with Toronto is still looming in our memories. Had Stroman not resigned with the Mets for an additional season, the trade would have gone into the archives as an obvious win for the Blue Jays.
However, is a single-season enough to salvage the deal? Remember, the Mets sacrificed either fourth and sixth-best prospects in Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. Kay made his major league debut last season while Woods-Richardson remains a top-level prospect.
Stroman would have to make a major impact for a Mets team that accomplished their postseason goals in order for the deal to swing back in favor of New York. Anything less would require Stroman to continue above-average production with the team after re-signing with the Mets in 2022.
Conclusion
To be transparent, I have always been a Stroman apologist. I was in favor of the initial trade that brought him to Flushing and a proponent of retaining him this offseason.
He seems to be committed to regaining his All-Star form in his last contract year before entering his 30s. He will also have a chance for real postseason success for the first time since his playoff runs with Toronto in the mid-2010s.
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In Stroman’s case, the good clearly outweighs the bad. Look for the starter to re-cement his reputation as an ace pitcher as he helps lead the Mets to great things on 2021. And hopefully beyond!