Marcus Stroman gives shoutout to St. Louis Cardinals fans

Marcus Stroman gave a shoutout to St. Louis Cardinals fans, but will it impact his free-agent decision?

After the St. Louis Cardinals dealt with injuries to the pitching staff all of 2021, the front office has prioritized upgrades across the board. They have been connected to Steven Matz and Andrew Heaney.

But fans have asked (demanded?) for high-end pitchers, with most of their attention going toward Max Scherzer and Marcus Stroman – and on late Saturday night, Stroman made it clear he’s noticed the support from Cardinals fans.

“Cardinals fans flooding my mentions,” Stroman tweeted. “I see y’all. Appreciate all the love!”

Stroman later went on to praise Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and a “few” New York Mets fans. The Cardinals were his first shoutout, but does that mean anything?

In the end, not much. Stroman’s decision will come down to the finances and who is willing to offer the most years and money. But he is arguably the most passionate pitcher in baseball and going to a city that matches his energy and the Cardinals, who have a very strong fan base, fit that description.

Just imagine what Stroman, 30, could do for the Cardinals’ rotation. He would slide into the No. 2 spot in the rotation between Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright. He posted a 3.02 ERA in 33 starts last season and his 49.5 ground ball percentage plays right into their elite infield defense, which is something the team is said to be prioritizing (rightfully so) in the pitchers they pursue.

The price to sign Stroman is going to be expensive and, given that Justin Verlander just signed for $25 million per season, that’s the floor for what Stroman will sign for on a multi-year contract. That alone may make him a very unlikely target for the Cardinals, who have other areas to address on the roster (reliever, another impact bat). But the fans’ support has clearly caught his attention.