Marcus Stroman. (John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports)
New Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman made the case for players fighting for changes to arbitration and free agency rules in the MLB lockout.
As the MLB lockout stretches on, some figures are doing a better of explaining their position than others.
Take Marcus Stroman, the former Mets and now Cubs pitcher who released a video that does an exceptional job of laying out one aspect of the players’ position.
“Pretty much in baseball, it takes way too much time for the top performers, especially young guys, to be paid. It’s ridiculous,” Stroman said. “You’ve got some guys coming in hitting 30-40-50 homers as rookies but they’re only being paid the bare minimum. So to get to the point where you can get paid that’s what we’re trying to knock down.”
Marcus Stroman lays out players’ argument in MLB lockout issue
Stroman used himself as an example of how long it can take for a player to start getting paid the big bucks.
“I had to throw 1,000 innings to become a free agent. That’s insane if you really truly think about it,” he said. “Seven years of staying healthy, performing until you can become a free agent and explore your options and get a deal that you deserve. It’s kinda crazy if you really think about it.”
Stroman came into the big leagues in 2014 with the Blue Jays. He won 11 games as a rookie while making half a million. His salary progressively rose to $7.4 million in his final season with Toronto via arbitration but he didn’t hit free agency for the first time until 2020 at the age of 29.
By comparison, NFL rookie contracts last four seasons with an option for a fifth. NBA rookies get a two-year contract with options in the third and fourth year. Free agency hits significantly earlier as a result.