Marcus Stroman is angling for a long-term deal with the Blue Jays, the right-hander told reporters Sunday. Whether or not one is currently on the table is unclear, however, as Stroman asserted that the team had yet to make him an offer, while a source then told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that a multi-year offer had already been extended by the Blue Jays.
As things stand now, the 27-year-old righty is approaching his penultimate season in a Blue Jays’ uniform. He avoided arbitration with the club last month after agreeing to a one-year, $7.4 million contract and is set to enter free agency in 2021 following his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2020. While Stroman was linked to the Padres, Astros, Brewers, Reds, and Braves at various points during the offseason, it doesn’t look like the Blue Jays have any immediate plans to flip him in a trade.
Still, the lack of an agreed-upon extension has caused Stroman no end of frustration. Per Davidi:
Stroman also revealed his desire to stay in the American League East and face off against the Yankees and Red Sox, adding that he’s not intimidated by the caliber of opponents he’d have to face in Rogers Centre. He criticized the front office’s lack of aggression in the free agent market and said he feels the team needs more relievers, starters, and/or position players to help bolster the rotation, in the hopes that the Blue Jays will be able to return to the winning ways of their 2015 and 2016 campaigns.
That may mean the Blue Jays need to start playing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sooner rather than later. It may mean they need to ink more veterans to short-term deals, if only to provide an ongoing support system for their young core players. Or, as Stroman put it, it may mean “making sure everybody [...] is doing everything in their power to put the best product out on the field” -- whether or not the veteran starter is around to reap the benefits of those efforts in the future.
