Toronto Blue Jays: Why they should extend Marcus Stroman soon

Why extension would be good for Blue Jays

Agreeing to a long-term deal with Stroman would be somewhat of a high-risk, high-reward scenario. Despite having played four seasons in Toronto, the 2012 first round pick has not had back-to-back solid seasons.

Stroman had a stellar rookie year in 2014, but then missed almost all his sophomore season with a torn left ACL . His first full season back, in 2016, he struggled with consistency and went from being the Blue Jays’ presumed ace to being a back-of-the-rotation arm.

But in 2017 he had his best season yet, going 13-9, with a 3.09 ERA, and finishing eighth in Cy Young voting.

Toronto could use this uncertainty as leverage in negotiating a long-term deal. If Stroman pitches the next three seasons like he did in 2017, than an extension will be significantly more expensive for the club.

With most of the team’s bloated contract coming off the books over the next couple of seasons, the Toronto Blue Jays should have the financial flexibility to strike a lengthy deal with the New York native.