ST. LOUIS — Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman paused before answering a question about why he had chosen to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic next year.
Teammate Drew Smyly, sitting at the next locker in the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium, jumped in: ‘‘He wanted to have two MVPs.’’
Stroman laughed. In 2017, the last time the tournament was held, he won the MVP and a championship with Team USA. But Stroman — whose mom, Adlin Auffant, is Puerto Rican — is eligible to play for two countries. Earlier this week, Stroman announced on Twitter that he was joining Team Puerto Rico for the 2023 WBC.