3 San Diego Padres trade rumors to squelch before they gain any traction

San Diego Padres trade rumor to squash: Marcus Stroman

Like the Cardinals, it seems very likely that the Chicago Cubs are going to miss the postseason in 2023 and could well find themselves as sellers at the MLB trade deadline. One of the biggest assets for the Cubs is starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who is coming to end of his two-year, $50 million deal with Chicago.

Stroman has already said publicly that the Cubs are "not interested in exploring" a contract extension, meaning Chicago could well be setting up to try to trade Stroman and get a decent return for his services.

The 32-year-old right-hander has been pitching like an All-Star this season, racking up eight wins in 15 starts and posting a National League-leading 2.45 ERA. His ERA+ of 183 leads the National League as well, and he certainly showed his talents to Padres fans on June 4 when he allowed one unearned run and four hits over 6.0 innings in a Chicago win at Petco Park.

Again, much like Goldschmidt, should the Cubs decide to trade Stroman, there will be a bidding war for his services and San Diego may not want to part with the draft capital it would take to bring him to southern California. Stroman would certainly be a good fit for any team needing starting pitching, but it likely won't be San Diego that lands him at the MLB trade deadline.