Blue Jays officially win the Marcus Stroman trade

Well, if it wasn’t already, it is definitely official now that the Toronto Blue Jays convincingly won the Marcus Stroman trade with the New York Mets.

Earlier today, former Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. The hurler tweeted out a statement in regard to his difficult decision citing the unknowns and uncertainties surrounding the pandemic as the mitigating factors.

Stroman has yet to pitch this season after being diagnosed with a small tear in his left calf. The 29-year old will become a free agent at seasons end having only made 11 starts for the Metropolitans following his acquisition at the trade deadline last season.

The Blue Jays acquired pitchers Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson in exchange for Stroman which at the time was a very controversial trade for the Toronto brain trust.

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Stroman sported a 4-2 record with a respectable 3.77 earned run average during his New York tenure. However, in hindsight, the Mets would undoubtedly love a mulligan on the deal as the prospect capital they surrendered for 59.2 innings was quite costly.

Kay made three appearances including a pair of starts for the Blue Jays following the trade last season. The 25-year old is pitching effectively out of the bullpen this season compiling a 1.13 earned run average in eight innings thus far.

Woods Richardson is currently ranked the fourth-best prospect in the organization and is ranked the 66th top prospect by Baseball America. The 19-year old could turn out to be the crown jewel of the trade when it is all said and done.

The much-maligned deal has definitely turned out to be a huge win for Ross Atkins and company. Sometimes, we just need to sit tight and wait for things to come full circle to appreciate the transaction to it’s fullest.