Here's Why Cubs' Marcus Stroman Gave Guardians' Triston McKenzie a Rolex Watch

Friday night, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians will play in a spring training matchup in Goodyear, Arizona, with Opening Day less than a week away. Starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Triston McKenzie share a unique bond. Stroman purchased and gifted McKenzie a Rolex watch following his impressive 2022 MLB season.

Friday night, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians will play in a spring training matchup with Opening Day less than a week away.

In the final days of spring training, the two teams that met in an epic 2016 World Series will have just a few games left to make decisions as it pertains to each club's respective roster. A pair of starting pitchers — Triston McKenzie and Marcus Stroman — from opposite dugouts share a special bond.

Without having met each other in-person before, Stroman responded to McKenzie on Twitter in January of 2022, and a special friendship was formed.

McKenzie, 24 at the time, had just completed his first season in the big leagues. His freshman year didn't go quite as planned, as the tall righty logged a 5-9 record, 4.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 87 ERA+ over 24 starts and 120 innings pitched. One January evening, McKenzie tweeted his desire to own a Rolex watch.

"I need an @ROLEX with a fluted bezel," McKenzie tweeted.

Minutes later, Stroman, an established veteran and 2019 All-Star, proposed a challenge to the youngster.

"If you go over 160 innings with a 3.7 ERA or lower this season... I'll buy you a Rolex!" Stroman tweeted in response to McKenzie.

"I saw a Rolex, and just me, being me, I went on Twitter and tweeted out my thoughts just saying that I wanted a Rolex," McKenzie said. "And then an hour later I looked at my phone and I had some buzz on Twitter surrounding my tweet, and when I went and looked at it 'Stro' had offered me a Rolex if I had hit certain numbers. I immediately responded to the tweet and I was like, 'Done!' not even knowing if it was completely true."

Since making his debut in 2014 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Stroman has found a good amount of success in his Major League career. In 2017, he finished eighth in American League Cy Young Award voting and won a Gold Glove Award. Two years later, he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, before being traded to the New York Mets. Then in 2021, Stroman hit free agency for the first time, and collected a three-year, $71 million deal from the Chicago Cubs.

McKenzie responded well to the challenge, posting an ERA nearly a full run lower than the 3.70 Stroman challenged him to (2.96). He also outperformed his goal of 160 innings, tossing 191.1.

Months later, Stroman paid up, and McKenzie was rewarded his watch from the veteran.

"I ended up talking to him and by the end of the year, once I got to those numbers and I really got the watch, it was an amazing feeling," McKenzie said. "Just to be able to have that moment with him and just have him be so generous was super dope."

Though McKenzie experienced a breakout season in 2022 and the Guardians surprised much of the baseball world, he still feels that he and his team have more to prove.

"As much as I think we got a lot better (from last season), I don't know if people see us as a much better team or have very high expectations for us again," McKenzie said. "So I think we're coming out here and trying to prove ourselves again."

Earlier this week, Stroman expressed his thankfulness on Twitter to have been named the Cubs Opening Day starting pitcher, for when the club begins play Thursday, March 30 against the Milwaukee Brewers in Chicago.

Stroman and McKenzie's teams will meet for the final time this spring in the Cactus League Friday night. The two clubs will play a three-game series at Wrigley Field, beginning June 30. Perhaps, if we are lucky and the rotations line up properly, we could see a McKenzie versus Stroman match-up this summer.

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