Blue Jays: Which NL contenders could come calling for a starting pitcher?

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies might be in first place in the NL East, but if they’re really serious about taking a run at the title this year then they probably need to upgrade their rotation.

They’ve got a great start with Aaron Nola as the staff ace, who despite not having as good of a season as he did in 2018, is still a top-shelf arm. Jake Arrieta has been solid this year and Zach Eflin is having a great first half as well, although he’s currently out dealing with back tightness.

It just doesn’t feel like the Phillies have the firepower to get it done though, and pursuing someone like Stroman to slot in between Nola and Arrieta would probably work very well. Not only would it give them some depth that they could really use, but Stroman also has playoff experience on his resume, and he’s shown an ability to step up when the pressure is on.

The Phillies have also shown that they’re clearly in win-now mode by doing things like signing Bryce Harper to a 13-year contract, and even with the trade they made for Jay Bruce last week to help their outfield depth. My guess is they’re going to continue to look for upgrades to help them not only solidify their playoff spot but hopefully to help them make a deeper run as well.

I’m not sure if there are the right pieces in the Phillies’ system to get it done or not, but there should certainly be interest, especially because Stroman’s contract is pretty reasonable, especially for his level of production. It makes sense based on need, but we’ll see if there’s a fit there or not.

Likelihood= 2.5/5