Yankees insider predicts ridiculous in-division trade with Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on a few big-name free agents that fans were hoping the team could bring in for the 2025 campaign. With Juan Soto inking the largest contract in MLB history with the Mets and Corbin Burnes choosing to sign with the Diamondbacks, the team has been forced to look elsewhere to improve their team for the upcoming season as they hope to make it back to the playoffs.

In a recent article from Pete Caldera where he looks at some predictions for the New York Yankees, he suggests GM Brian Cashman trades right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman back to the Blue Jays in exchange for two lottery pick prospects with the dealing helping the Yankees to unload his $18 million contract.

The Blue Jays need to bolster their pitching depth, so could there be something to a potential deal between the two teams?

Blue Jays reunion with Stroman, but does it make sense?

Stroman, who is 33 years old, posted a 4.31 ERA through 154.2 innings pitched last season with the Yankees while notching 113 strikeouts and a 10-9 record. While the Blue Jays would love to improve their pitching depth, it's hard to see them being open to moving high-end prospects like Caldera suggests in such a deal.

Stroman spent the first stint of his career with the Blue Jays between 2014-2019 before being moved to the New York Mets. He spent the 2021 season with the Mets as well before joining the Chicago Cubs in the 2022 and 2023 season, and joined the Yankees last season.

His underlying stats show the Blue Jays could be better off looking elsewhere to improve their depth on the mound, especially if it would cost two prospects of some note to bring him in. When we look at the Blue Jays' top prospects, there is nobody in their top-15 that should be on the table in a move for Stroman.

In theory, if the Yankees sent over some cash and dropped their asking price in a trade return, the deal might be a bit more enticing. However, there are still better options available and the Blue Jays would be better off spending their money elsewhere.

Blue Jays still have plenty of options in free agency

Realistically, the Blue Jays still have some realistic options in free agency and would be better suited to spend the money improving that way then giving up two prospects for an inconsistent Stroman. The team still has Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander available as options away from pitchers to improve their batting depth, but let's take a look at some pitching options.

We can assume Clayton Kershaw will return to the Los Angeles Dodgers for another season, but Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, Jack Flaherty, Roki Sasaki, and Max Scherzer all remain available. Sasaki might be a pipe dream at this point, but the rest are realistic options.

The other big thing with those pitchers is they would likely come in around the same price as Stroman, if not less, and provide more value to the Blue Jays, and they wouldn't have to give up any prospects.

For a team that needs to focus on the future considering the uncertainty surrounding the contract situations of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, it makes absolutely no sense for them to give up prospects for an aging pitcher unless they make another big swing before the season begins. It would be nice to see them pursue pitching help, but Stroman just is not the best option available by any means.

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