Will this former Blue Jays star find his way back to the big leagues?

It happens with fair regularity in Major League Baseball. One minute a player is a legitimate star, but the next they, they are left searching for answers, and cast off as spare parts. That is exactly what has happened to former Toronto Blue Jays star pitcher Marcus Stroman after his recent release from the New York Yankees.

The question will be, will Stroman be able to somehow find his way back to the major leagues in due time? After all, he is now 34 years old and is moving further away from his prime.

Will this former Blue Jays star find his way back to the big leagues?

It was just over a decade ago when Stroman was practically the ace of the Blue Jays pitching staff. With Toronto having missed the postseason for more than 20 years, the emergence of the enigmatic right-hander in 2014 gave Jays fans some hope that the club could be turning the corner pretty soon. Sure enough, Stroman would be a part of the Jays’ back-to-back postseason appearances in 2015 and 2016, bringing lots of character and excitement along the way.

However, as the Jays faded from contention, he was eventually dealt to the New York Mets during their rebuilding years in exchange for pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. Stroman would go on to star for the Mets and then the Chicago Cubs before joining the Yankees in 2024.

From there, his struggles began to surface. In two seasons with the Bronx Bombers, he posted a career-worst 4.69 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, giving up 101 earned runs with just 139 strikeouts in 193 2/3 innings pitched over 38 starts.

This year, Stroman was somehow still a part of the Yankees rotation despite sporting a dismal 6.23 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over nine starts. However, with their massive pitching additions at the trade deadline, along with the eventual return of Luis Gil from the injured list, it spelt the end of Stroman’s tenure with New York.

So where could Stroman land if given another chance? Jackson Roberts of Newsweek suggested that the Cleveland Guardians, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs should consider pursuing the recent free agent. The Guardians and Giants could his services to give them valuable innings down the stretch in a long-shot chance to make the playoffs. But a potential return to the Cubs could revitalize his career after the success that he had during his two seasons with the club. 

Perhaps the Jays could even call for a reunion with their old friend. But with the success that they have had with their pitching staff in recent weeks, messing with a good thing may not be a good idea. Especially when they already have Shane Bieber ready to be added to the mix in the coming weeks, there might not be a need for Stroman in one way or another.

But with no word from any MLB team following his release already, there’s no guarantee that Stroman will find a home before the season is over, or perhaps even beyond that.

Nevertheless, you know Stroman that he would direly want that one last chance to prove his worth in the league with any opportunity he can get. Otherwise, as surprising as it may turn out, it may potentially be the last that we see of the former star in a major league uniform.