Blue Jays’ Stroman wins arbitration case

The Toronto Blue Jays and Marcus Stroman met for their arbitration hearing last Friday, and the decision came down on Tuesday.

As the Blue Jays’ pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today, the front office is still working on the budget for their roster prior to Opening Day. One of the last variables to be determined was salary arbitration, with the Blue Jays yet to settle Marcus Stroman’s contract status for this season.

The news came down on Tuesday that Stroman had in fact won his case, according to Jon Heyman, who had it first.

Stroman and his agent filed for 3.4 million, as opposed to the 3.1 offer from the club. After finishing last season at 9-10 with 204 innings pitched, Stroman had a strong case for why he’s deserving of a raise.

The 25 year old struggled in the first half of last season, despite going 7-2. He had a 4.89 ERA at the break, but managed to bring it down to 3.68 after the All-Star break, pitching much more effectively.

Stroman won’t be eligible for free agency until the 2021 season, and this first raise is an important part of determining his salary going forward. While it may seem petty to argue over 300k when it comes to a star pitcher like Stroman, the reality is that 300k could turn into an extra million next offseason, and potentially more after that.

That said, it’s wonderful to have Stroman’s contract status resolved, and to know that he’ll be focused on the task at hand for the upcoming season. If you follow the New York native on twitter (@MStrooo6), it’s not hard to tell that he’s excited and motivated to pitch.

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Stroman is 24-16 with a 3.91 ERA across parts of 3 seasons with the Blue Jays, including missing most of the 2015 season.