Marcus Stroman is loving life with the Chicago Cubs amid his best season yet as a pro. He has expressed his desire to stay in Chicago long-term and the feeling seems mutual on the Cubs side.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said he is excited about the prospect of Stroman signing an extension.

“I’m really excited Marcus wants to stay,” Ricketts said during an interview with 670 the Score’s Mully and Haugh Show. “I know he’s a very talented player and a big part of this team, and it feels like he’s in the right place. He really wants to be here. That’s a great thing. I feel like he’s been so positive for us since he got here.”

Stroman recently said that he and his agents engaged in contract extension negotiations with the Cubs before the season but the two sides never met on a deal. He doesn’t anticipate they'll continue until after the season.

Stroman has been lights out this season for the Cubs. He has the lowest ERA in the National League at 2.28 and is 9-4 with 14 quality starts out of 16, including a complete game one-hit shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays, baseball's best team all season.

Stroman is in year two of a three-year deal with the Cubs. He has a $21 million player option for 2024, one he will likely decline to re-up with the Cubs or a different team this offseason.

Marcus Stroman is one of the best starting pitchers in the MLB in 2023 and he's on the cusp of getting a major payday.