- CLUTCH SUMMARY: The New York Mets traded for Marcus Stroman despite seemingly being out of playoff contention.
- Even if the move seems suspect, a potential buy-low, sell-high scenario exists.
- The Toronto Blue Jays are a bit of an afterthought in the deal, as everyone is concerned with how Marcus Stroman will fit with the New York Mets.
- Getting beyond the shock of it all, the New York Mets did the right thing.
The New York Mets traded for starting pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal that was way light on the return package for the Blue Jays. Even more puzzling, the Mets are out of playoff contention, unless you ask them apparently, and with them acquiring Stroman, is this more of a buy-low deal to position themselves better off for the 2020 season?
Throughout the season, the steady fall of the Mets in the National League East standings had almost certainly pointed to the eventual selling of big-time players on this team at the deadline, yet they added Stroman and mostly remained the same. The likes of Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGrom are the three biggest pieces in the Mets’ rotation, and even with trade rumors running rampant as the deadline passed by, left-hander Jason Vargas was the lone arm to be traded, being shipped off to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Coming into the deadline, Wheeler seemed to be the most likely of the three to be traded, with Thor slotting in directly after Wheeler. Both guys have a ton of value and would require a lot in return, more for Thor than for Wheeler, but as has been status quo for this team throughout the season, surprises occur more often than the team following the predicted script.
As the lone move that has helped keep the trade deadline entertaining so far, the Mets became more of a laughing stock of the MLB as the trade deadline season passed, although their shrewd move to go out and get Stroman looks to be a bit of a steal, considering the prospect return that the Blue Jays received. His fit is all up in the air in terms of how the roster is comprised, but it is safe to say that they are miraculously a few bats and a good start to the season away from being contenders.
The NL East looks to be the division of hoarding starting pitchers, as the Washington Nationals (Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg) are the cream of the crop when it comes to how their starting rotation is comprised. With the likes of Thor and Wheeler remaining on this team and paired up with deGrom and new addition Stroman, then they have a stake in that claim as well.
Stroman is used to being the guy, especially with how bad his Blue Jays teams have been throughout the vast majority of his career. But being in the Big Apple now, he looks to almost be the third fiddle in the rotation, which may take a bit to get used to but it can be a blessing in disguise in the long run.
New York media seems to be the worst, and new players seem to have a very difficult time getting used to that aspect. While Stroman has dealt with his fair share of tumultuous moments north of the border, New York is a whole different animal in terms of media and public expectations.
Stroman has the stuff, and with only one more year on his contract, he may put together his best pitching season in his career in hopes to earn the most money possible on the open market. With players being cut off in terms of long-term, guaranteed money contracts lately, he may have a bit of a difficult time securing that desired contract, although pitching seems to pay more often than not.
Marcus Stroman ultimately can result in being this year’s trade deadline coup, so the Mets have actually done something right for once, compared to their awful track record as of late.
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