Stroman asks the obvious: Why wouldn't Cubs want me, Bellinger back?
Cubs management asked to see results, and the picture couldn't have been more crystal clear Saturday - at least with two players.
Marcus Stroman took the All-Star break to reset and delivered another quality start. Cody Bellinger remained the hottest hitter in MLB by going 2-for-4 with a grand slam as the Cubs clobbered Boston 10-4 at Wrigley Field.
Both can become free agents this winter and both are easy choices for players the Cubs should want on the roster in 2024.
After the game, Stroman went ahead and said what every Cubs fans has been thinking.
"Everyone's always putting this emphasis on, 'We need to play good in seven days, 10 days and then we could be buyers,'" Stroman said. "But I actually don't believe in that. This division's wide open and then if you even look deeper than that, as an organization, why wouldn't you want to be competitive for multiple years, year after year after year?
"Belli's a guy who changes your lineup. Why would you want him to get away? Why would you want a guy like myself, who goes out there and gives you quality starts?"
Stroman had some long innings early in the game, but finished with a stellar line of 1 run and 3 hits allowed over 6 innings.
His comments weren't a case of saying the quiet part out loud. More like stating the obvious.
This isn't going to be a stellar offseason for offensive free agents, unless the Cubs break the bank to sign Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, and that seems unlikely.
So bringing back Stroman and Bellinger next season makes plenty of sense. Especially Bellinger, who has injected life into a sputtering offense. He's hit 5 home runs in the last six games, three already this weekend against the Red Sox.
Bellinger is hitting .444 since the first game in London on June 24. Granted, he's nowhere near his pace from the 2019 MVP season with the Dodgers, when he finished with 47 home runs and 115 RBI. But his .305 average with 12 home runs in 60 games stands out on this Cubs team.
"He's been more than expected, I think, since he's been here," manager David Ross said of Bellinger. "He's the total package, right? The defense, the clubhouse presence, the bat and the power showing up. He's leading our team in OPS vs. lefties."
Bellinger ducked out quickly after the game since it was a family fun day on the field at Wrigley. But Stroman was happy to speak for his teammate.
"You can tell he's just happy, he's very comfortable," Stroman said. "It feels like he's at home.
"He's someone who changes an entire lineup. To see him locked in is incredible. He's an amazing human being and I love everything about his process and routine."
Stroman probably also spoke for Bellinger when he discussed their future with the Cubs. Both players are candidates to be moved before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. But the Cubs would also be hard-pressed to improve on either player's performance with a replacement.
"I know Belli wants to stay," Stroman said. "I know I would love to stay here, but a lot of that's out of our control. So at the end of the day it's a business and we have to treat it as such, even though we have this love for this fan base and this organization."
Stroman said he has a great relationship with the Ricketts family and management team of Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins, but doesn't think a contract extension will happen before Aug. 1.
"No matter how much I love it, I could wake up tomorrow and be gone," Stroman said. "So it's tough, but I love everything about the city of Chicago and this organization. No matter what happens, I would hope that they would be in the mix in the offseason when it comes to my free-agency."
So Stroman isn't ruling out getting traded, then returning to the Cubs, but that's always a long shot. His pending free-agency may limit the quality of offers the Cubs receive. They may not get another chance to make a Javy Baez for Pete Crow-Armstrong type of deal.
The other Cubs home run Saturday came from Patrick Wisdom. He moved into a tie for the team lead with Christopher Morel with his 15th of the season. But it was Wisdom's first homer since he hit 2 on May 28 against the Reds.
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