Toronto Blue Jays and Marco Estrada working on an extension

Marco Estrada has expressed his desire to remain in Southern Ontario and it sounds as if the Toronto Blue Jays want the same thing.

Marco Estrada had one of his best starts of the season on Monday night, for the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite recording a no-decision, he threw seven complete innings, while allowing just four hits, one run and one walk.

It’s almost as if Estrada was pitching, with a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. Which he probably was, after not being moved at the non-waiver trade deadline.

However, there is likely another reason the 34-year-old was playing with a new-found lease of life. As reported by Baseball Prospectus, the Blue Jays are apparently interested in signing him to an extension.

This may surprise some, given how Estrada has struggled this season. In fairness to him though, he was pitching well until the start of June, before enduring a nightmare run of form which last through the All-Star break.

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Given the two-month dip in production, the Blue Jays may take their time in negotiating a new deal with the 2016 All-Star, just to see how he responds over his next few starts. However, there is every reason to believe he can recover the form, which saw him excel during his first two years in Toronto.

From Estrada’s point of view, he’s definitely interested in sticking around. Speaking to Sportsnet‘s Shi Davidi on Monday, he said:

"“I’m sure they want me back. I hope they do. I’ve expressed a lot that I’m really happy here and I’d like to stay, and I guess today is a sign of that if I wasn’t traded…we’ll try and work something out, I hope. That’s all I can ask for.”"

Even Estrada conceded part of the reason he wasn’t traded, was likely down to his recent struggles. Regardless, it’s now up to him to turn this into a positive, if he genuinely does want to stay in Southern Ontario.

As far as the Blue Jays are concerned, they will likely be able to use recent circumstances to their advantage and get a team-friendly deal. And if that happens, there is no reason they shouldn’t take a gamble on the 2005 sixth round draft pick.

Next: Predicting the Jays' rotation in 2018

Were you satisfied the Jays didn’t trade Estrada at the deadline, or would you have preferred to see him leave? Regardless, do you want him back in Toronto next season, or is it time for the club to move on? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.