Blue Jays rotation will have more challenges following Stroman trade

Nothing lasts forever in Major League Baseball as all good moments eventually come to an end. Take the 2015/2016 Toronto Blue Jays for example, back to back ALCS appearances seem to be in the distant past as the team has gone full speed towards a rebuild over the last couple of years.

The team now awaits to say goodbye to one of the final pieces of those celebrated teams as Marcus Stroman will inevitably be traded before the trade deadline passes. While Stroman has offered the Blue Jays fanbase a reminder of those glorious years while also contributing a strong performance on the mound this season, the front office has determined that he has no place in the future.

While sacrifices must always be made for any long-term success, the Blue Jays rotation in the post-Stroman era presents more challenges than answers.

There is Trent Thornton, who was on his way to having a serviceable rookie season before running into a tough stretch as of late. The 25-year-old pitcher has been rocked over his last five starts, going fewer than four innings in four of his last five starts while giving up 21 runs over 16.1 innings. Luckily for Thornton, the Blue Jays do not have a lot of other options and he will likely have to work through his issues at the major league level.

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Then there is the record-shattering Aaron Sanchez, though all the records the Blue Jays’ pitcher is shattering is for all the wrong reasons. Sanchez has now lost 10 straight starts and 13 straight decisions as his ERA has ballooned to 6.26 this season. While some have suggested a move to the bullpen, the Blue Jays have not hinted at the move and seem content with letting Sanchez move forward in the rotation.

While Thornton and Sanchez have been doing their part as the bad and the ugly in the Blue Jays’ rotation, the good news is that Ryan Borucki is back. After dealing with an elbow injury that has sidelined him since spring, Borucki is ready to resume his role in the Blue Jays rotation after posting an impressive 3.87 ERA last season.

From here, it gets awfully tricky when looking towards the last two spots in the Blue Jays’ rotation. There is the currently injured Clayton Richard, though he has been nothing more than batting practice for opposing teams this season as his 5.96 ERA would suggest.

Jacob Waguespack will likely also continue seeing opportunities out of the rotation and while his performances have not made anyone do a double-take, he has been serviceable thus far.

Sean Reid-Foley will also likely return at some point and for good reason. In his last appearance with the team, Reid-Foley pitched 3.1 innings scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox and the team will surely be interested in seeing what the 23-year-old pitcher can offer over an extended stretch.

With little starting pitch depth in Buffalo, the post-Stroman rotation presents a ship stuck in choppy waters. Whether the boat arrives to shore in one piece at the end of the season does not seem to matter at this point, as long as they find a way to make it to the finish.