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Toronto Blue Jays: Trading Stroman to Padres not worth it

By Paul Taylor

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 02: Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays walks back to the dugout after pitching against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of the game on May 2, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Blue Jays 4-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 02: Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays walks back to the dugout after pitching against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of the game on May 2, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Blue Jays 4-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The San Diego Padres want Marcus Stroman, but the Toronto Blue Jays need to stand firm and demand a better return package.

As the Toronto Blue Jays undergo a rebuild, speculation has continued about Marcus Stroman‘s future in Southern Ontario. To begin with, we didn’t genuinely believe he would be moved; however, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Along these lines, an interesting report emerged on Saturday, courtesy of Jon Morosi. The MLB Network insider reported that the San Diego Padres are in discussions with the Blue Jays, regarding Stroman.

The discussions are apparently ongoing, with the Padres focused on trading for the 27-year-old. However, the names being discussed as part of the return package, make you wonder whether anything will be agreed.

As per Morosi, the two players specifically mentioned, are pitchers Michel Baez and Logan Allen. They are widely regarded as the seventh and eight-ranked prospects respectively, in the Padres’ farm system.

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The issue with this is that if the Blue Jays are going all-in on rebuilding, why settle for Baez and/or Allen? Why not aim higher?

Why not ask for one of the Padres’ elite prospects, such as Fernando Tatis Jr. or MacKenzie Gore? If San Diego are so intent on adding another starter, make them pay for it by committing to a stronger return package.

Now, we appreciate Stroman is coming off a bad season. And by bad, we mean nightmare; he suffered the least productive season of his five-year career in the Majors.

By the same token, this is still the same player who just a season earlier, enjoyed his best year in a Blue Jays uniform. There is every reason to believe 2019 was a one-off, and he will return to his previous form as a budding staff ace.

Morosi was keen to stress no genuine progress has been made towards agreeing a trade at this stage. The Jays and Padres are potentially a good match though, so it will be interesting to see how talks develop between the two clubs.

General manger Ross Atkins has previously claimed the likelihood of Stroman being moved during this offseason was low. And yet, the fact the Blue Jays are engaged in ongoing talks with the Padres seems to allude to the club wanting to make something happen.

In this respect, you could argue a fresh start might be best for Stroman anyway. Apart from his poor form, he also had a bad year away from the mound, especially with the Toronto media.

Overall though, if the Padres are not willing to offer any better than the likes of Baez and Allen, it really isn’t worth moving Stroman. If the Blue Jays are genuinely committed to rebuilding the franchise properly, the return package needs to be better in this case.

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What would you do in the Toronto Blue Jays’ position? Accept the reported prospects on offer, or hold out for better? Regardless of if a deal is agreed with the Padres or not, how likely is Stroman to still be in Southern Ontario when the 2019 regular season begins? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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