4 big whiffs by Dodgers’ front office before the lockout

2. Marcus Stroman

Another contract that boasts a ton of value for the billionaire owners! They want to save money? They want shorter contracts? They want less overall dollar commitments? Well, look no further than Marcus Stroman’s three-year, $71 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Folks, here’s the breakdown, too:

• 2022: $25 million
• 2023: $25 million
• 2024: $21 million player option

Doesn’t that perfectly fit the Dodgers’ supposed championship “window”? It gives them an ace-like arm to help the production lost from Scherzer (and possibly Kershaw). Stroman’s had three All-Star caliber campaigns since 2017 and has proven to be a steadfast top-of-the-rotation starter. This would’ve been a shrewd way to build around Walker Buehler and Julio Urīas, both of whom were overused in 2021.

If you were willing to pay record-setting money for Trevor Bauer, whose career ERA was right around 4.00 when he signed with the Dodgers, then there was little reason not to pay Stroman a very pedestrian price for his impressive output. In 179 career games, the right-hander owns a 3.63 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with a disastrous 2018 season interrupted by injuries actually inflating both of those numbers.

Some fans might not like Stroman’s demeanor, but does it really matter when he’s backing it up?