Blue Jays: How Marcus Stroman stacks up in the SP trade market

Tier 1: Trevor Bauer, Noah Syndergaard,

At the top of the list are two of the better right-handers in all of baseball, even if their stats this season don’t necessarily paint that picture.

Last season Trevor Bauer was one of the best pitchers on the planet and was probably on route to winning the Cy Young award before he hit the injured list late in the year. This season he hasn’t been quite as good, but he’s still carrying a record of 9-7 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.182 WHIP in 22 starts and 144.2 innings.

It’s a curious situation for the Cleveland Indians, as they’re currently at the top of the Wild Card race in the American League, but they’ve also discussed that they’re going to try and trade a starter while also contending at the same time. That’s obviously a cost-cutting measure that they’re being forced into for one reason or another, but it sounds like they’re serious about dealing Bauer for the right return.

The 28-year-old is making 13 million this season and will no-doubt go to battle for the maximum salary he can get in his final year of arbitration next year, but the acquiring team would still have him around for 2020, even if it might be a little pricey. It could be tricky for a contending team to send a package that makes sense for Cleveland, who is also still trying to contend on the fly, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Noah Syndergaard hasn’t had the greatest of seasons in 2019, but he probably has the most raw talent of anyone on this list. Whether or not he can harness that potential is still a big question, but hopefully a change of scenery from New York will do him wonders.

The 26-year-old has made 19 starts this season, going 7-4 with a 4.36 ERA and a 1.228 WHIP in 119.2 innings. He’s earned 1.2 bWAR so far and hasn’t been bad by any stretch, but he’s a far cry from the pitcher that took the National League by storm in 2016.

What makes him particularly interesting is that he still has two years of contract control remaining, and he’s making just six million this year. That means basically any contender can afford his salary, it’s just a matter of if they’re willing to pay the sky-high price that the Mets will have to be asking for him.