Blue Jays have no reason to trade Marcus Stroman

Marcus Stroman is, above all else, a passionate baseball player who routinely demonstrates his devotion to his team – that’s hard to come by, and should be valued by the Blue Jays as they move forward.

Almost every fan of the Toronto Blue Jays will have some strong opinion on young starting pitcher Marcus Stroman. Some adore his passion and exuberance, while others despise his excitement and loud voice in the clubhouse. It doesn’t matter whether or not you like him, the Blue Jays as a baseball team should absolutely, under no circumstances trade Marcus Stroman, at least not now.

Let’s start with the obvious – Stroman is an exciting, devoted, passionate and committed member of the Toronto Blue Jays. While his season’s struggles have tested that quite a bit, he is consistently optimistic, applauding his teammates in the dugout and cheering on his team with unwavering enthusiasm. This young man loves the Blue Jays, and there’s no doubt about that.

As a role model for young baseball players, Stroman emphasizes a part of the game that is perhaps underrated in today’s world – the fact that it’s a game. Over years of watching baseball, I’ll proudly say that few baseball players are as exciting to watch as the right-hander from New York. Whether it’s jumping off the mound after a big strikeout or shimmying his way through a tough part of the lineup, this guy keeps it interesting, and in the best way possible.

Recently, my colleague Jason Lee excellently summed up the mystique and charisma of the young Stroman in a column, which I would highly recommend reading not just because it underscores my thoughts on his persona, but also because it’s important to understand just how much his personality has infected those interested in the team.

Most importantly, trading Stroman, as some reports have suggested might be possible, wouldn’t be a good baseball move at all. Most evidently, Stroman is a controllable young pitcher with a proven record of being able to produce at the major league level. Seeing as those types of assets are revered by every franchise in baseball, giving up on one would be foolish and unjustified.

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Stroman’s 2018 struggles reinforce the need to keep him on this roster. If they were to deal him now, they’d be selling low on him. A trade involving him now would net the lowest possible return imaginable. He’s at his lowest right now, and as recency biases continue to dominate the trade market, Stroman’s last few months do not reflect his value, nor his abilities.

Now, this isn’t to say that the Blue Jays shouldn’t be open to the possibility of trading Stroman at some point, nor does it insinuate that the team was serious about dealing him in the first place. Primarily, this is to remind us that while his tenure with the Jays has been occasionally rocky, he remains a valuable member of this club and should be thought of as such for all intents and purposes.

A positive ambassador for this team and for the city of Toronto, Marcus Stroman deserves not to be given the cold shoulder because of a botched media scrum, and he certainly doesn’t merit a trade for a less than ideal return.

Regardless of how you look at it, trading Marcus Stroman would not be a smart move for this franchise, quantitatively or qualitatively. His enthusiasm, excitement, and passion for the game are an asset alone, while his performance on the mound is sure to improve. With two years of team control, he figures to be an integral part of this team’s pitching staff in the short, and hopefully long term future.