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Report: Blue Jays have spoken with Yankees about Marcus Stroman

TORONTO, ON - JUNE 07: Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the first inning during MLB game action against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre on June 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

With the trade deadline coming up next month, the rumours are starting to swirl and it’s no surprise that Marcus Stroman’s name is coming up.

Stroman is performing well this year, is just 28 year old, makes a reasonable $7.4 million with club control through 2020 and isn’t carrying many injury red flags. That makes him a pretty appealing package.

According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, the Blue Jays and Yankees have discussed a trade involving the starter. Although some clubs prefer to shy away from inter-division trades, Toronto and New York linked up on the J.A. Happ deal last summer and are far enough away from each other in their competitive cycles that it’d be hard to call them rivals.

Moving Stroman makes sense for the Blue Jays as he’ll only be around for another year-and-a half-before he requires a costly extension. If the team would rather cash in on his trade value than pay up, this is the time - especially considering he has a sparkling 3.31 ERA this year with 1.5 WAR to his name.

The Yankees, on the other hand, could use a reliable addition to a rotation that’s dealt with a number of injuries this year. Stroman is a surefire top-four option that would be a significant addition to their playoff rotation, bringing a solid postseason pedigree to boot. Making the fit a little bit better is the fact Stroman is from Medford, New York.

Although seeing Stroman in Yankees pinstripes would be disconcerting for Blue Jays fans everywhere, it wouldn’t be a shock if he ends up as a Bronx Bomber before August rolls around.

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