Alex Kielar | July 26th,2019
Marcus Stroman pitched in what was most likely his final game in a Toronto Blue Jays jersey on Wednesday, and his trade stock rose even farther. In his final start for the Blue Jays against the Cleveland Indians, Stroman was very effective, going seven strong innings and only surrendering five hits, one run (earned), and walking one. His offense didn’t do him any favors, as the Blue Jays lost 4-0. Following the game and into Thursday, he tweeted and retweeted several tweets about his appreciation to the Toronto fans. About a week or so ago, he also took out any reference to the Blue Jays from his Twitter page. Take it with a grain of salt, but he also tweeted something that could be a clue to where he ends up, or maybe he even knows something. So at this point, the question isn’t IF he’s traded but WHERE. So let me tell you where I think he ends up.
First off, there are several teams in desperate need of starting pitching; with questions about whether or not the San Francisco Giants will trade MadBum, Indians will trade Trevor Bauer (very unlikely), and the type of large packages the New York Mets will be asking for their pitching, Stroman is the best available on the market right now. With so many teams that are going to be going after him, it will come down to who is inclined to give up the most.
The Houston Astros are a good option, and they have a pretty stacked farm, and could certainly make it happen. I really don’t see him as fit there, however, and the Blue Jays will most likely want an MLB-ready player in a deal, and I don’t see the Astros inclined to give up a Yordan Alvarez for Stroman. The Minnesota Twins also have a good farm, but not any major-league ready players they would be willing to trade away. But do you know who fits that bill, and who I think would be the perfect fit for the Stro-Show? The New York Yankees.
Yes, I won’t beat around the bush any longer. The Yankees will land Stroman, and inlcude Clint Frazier in the deal. He’s as major-league ready as anybody. Even though his defense is certainly suspect, ever since he was sent down to AAA Scranton-Wilkes-Barre he has worked hard on it and improved. Right now, with as stacked a team as the Yankees are, with Mike Tauchman not only having above-average defense but also hitting very good of late, Frazier is stuck in AAA and should be on a Major League roster somewhere. It’s very similar to another situation for the Yankees that occurred last season with Brandon Drury. Drury was a great defensive and offensive player but got injured and the emergence of stud rookie Miguel Andujar caused him to be stuck in Scranton. That was until the Yankees included him in a deal for J.A. Happ, sending him to — you guessed it — the Toronto Blue Jays. The situations are nearly identical, and a player stuck in the minors could be sent to the Blue Jays again for a starting pitcher.
The Yankees also have the prospects to include in the deal that would grab the attention of the Blue Jays. What could a deal look like? Probably something along the lines of Frazier, Albert Abreu, and Estevan Florial would get it done. It’s certainly a lot to give up for the Yankees, but the Blue Jays will be asking a lot, especially from a division rival. But as far as the Yankees outfield is concerned, they already have Giancarlo Stanton (hopefully can get and stay healthy) and Aaron Hicks locked up for years, and Aaron Judge is there to stay. So Frazier and Florial would potentially not have a spot with that outfield healthy. Abreu is a top pitching prospect for the Yankees, and even though he just got placed on the IL with a biceps injury recently, he will be a good piece for the Blue Jays future once healthy.
After likely his final start with the Blue Jays, Stroman went to Twitter to give a quick thanks to the fans and his supporters.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThankful for the ones who show up and bring that energy always! #HDMH pic.twitter.com/eRtL6KI9Gr
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) July 25, 2019
With the Jays season not looking like it’s going anywhere, and the deadline quickly approaching, it’s time to cash in their big assets and look towards the future. To all general managers, your move.
Questions and comments?
thescorecrowsports@gmail.com
Follow Us on Twitter @thescorecrow
Follow Us on Reddit at u/TheScorecrow
Follow Us on Facebook at The Scorecrow
Follow Us on Instagram at The Scorecrow
Facebook Group where you can read and post articles at The Scorecrow
Reddit Group where everyone can post without fear of being banned at The Scorecrow
Follow Alex Kielar on Twitter @KielarScorecrow
Main Image Credit:
