Marcus Stroman's Likely Final Start Before the Trade Deadline Couldn't Have Been Any Better
By Scott Rogust
The MLB trade deadline is officially one week away, and there are plenty of playoff contenders in need of some starting pitching. One of the more talked about candidates is Toronto Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman, who will likely be moved, considering the team is looking to rebuild.
On Wednesday, Stroman pitched in what very well could be his final start with the Blue Jays, and it was downright impressive. Stroman pitched seven innings against the Cleveland Indians, in which he allowed only one run while striking out six batters.
Crowd stood for Marcus Stroman as he left the field at Rogers Centre, possibly for final time
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) July 25, 2019
Stroman went 7, allowing 1 run. 6 Ks, 1 BB. ERA drops to 2.96, trade value climbs a little
If that's his last start with #BlueJays, it was a strong finish to a memorable career here
Not only are potential suitors salivating at Stroman's performance, but so is the Blue Jays front office.
With this start in the books, Stroman now owns a 2.96 ERA, and that will certainly help Toronto raise their asking price for the 28-year-old right hander. The Blue Jays will look to accelerate their rebuild process and are reportedly looking for a Chris Archer-type haul for Stroman's services.
The Blue Jays are looking for a HUGE haul in any potential trade for Marcus Stroman. ? https://t.co/KvbBs3vuMu pic.twitter.com/MDoZ4ILoMW
— theScore (@theScore) July 21, 2019
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Atlanta Braves are "an obvious suitor" for Stroman considering general manager Alex Anthopoulos knows of the pitcher during his time in Toronto. Other teams like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies expressed interest too.
After this impressive outing, speculation surrounding Stroman will run rampant, especially if the Jays opt to skip his next potential start before the deadline.