Marcus Stroman was once a leading player thought to be available at the MLB trade deadline. His last few starts have left lots to be desired.

Plenty thought Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman's first several starts in 2023 were a fluke, and that he'd quickly slow down throughout the season. After all, the 32-year-old pitcher has an arsenal that looks tremendously different than your typical ace, and he relies more on groundouts than strikeouts.

Yet, Stroman maintained his pace and emerged as a Cy Young candidate in the NL as the season went on. That is, until the trade deadline got suspiciously close.

In his first 20 games, Stroman put up a 2.88 ERA and held opponents to a .560 OPS. His ERA across the last three starts is a staggering 15.3, giving up a 1.132 OPS. Oof!

That run started on July 20th, with the trade deadline (Aug. 1) nearing. If you're the conspiracy type, layering on Stroman's desire to stay in Chicago might have you wondering if any of this was on purpose…

Marcus Stroman has been vocal about wanting to stay in Chicago

Stroman has said outwardly that he loves playing at Wrigley Field. He's campaigned to earn a contract extension from the team rather than entering free agency this winter. The team has not agreed with him on a deal, which made him a reasonable player to expect to get traded at the deadline this year since he's on an expiring contract (assuming he opts out of the final year of his deal) and was pitching at blistering pace.

"I want nothing more than to be a Cub," Stroman told reports. "I kill myself 24/7 on and off the field to perform, to keep my body is position, to keep my mind in position. I truly believe I prepare like nobody else so I know my worth,"Stroman said, H/T Bob Nightengale.

So, what better way to take yourself off the market than to start looking like a lemon?

Tanking his own trade value is far fetched for Marcus Stroman

It's easy to let the imagination run wild when it comes to trade deadline week. Stroman has been electric all year, so his struggles lining up exactly with the trade season of the year is notable, at the very least.

Put in context, though, it's hard to imagine Stroman doing this intentionally. He's known as a hard worker and a pitcher who takes every start incredibly seriously. It would be harder for Stroman to tank, given his temperament, than to go out and give it his all.

Plus, the Cubs have been pulling pieces off the trade market rather than selling, Cody Bellinger standing out as a notable piece. Stroman pitching well gives the Cubs more reason to keep him for the rest of this season because they're trying to throw their hat in the postseason ring.

It's possible the anxiety of the upcoming trade deadline and uncertainty of what's to come before Tuesday at 6 p.m. has been a distraction implicitly impacting Stroman's play, but as far as doing this intentionally? It's extremely hard to believe.