MLB rumors: 5 trade targets for the Houston Astros
2. Marcus Stroman, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
After a rough, injury-plagued 2018 (5.54 ERA over 19 starts), with some bad luck mixed in (3.91 FIP; 3.90 FIP with a 3.09 ERA on his way to a top-10 Cy Young finish in 2017), Stroman is enjoying a nice rebound in 2019 (3.18 ERA, 7.0 K/9, 2.8 BB/9) while continuing to be a ground ball-heavy pitcher (57.5 percent so far). He did leave his most recent start with what was deemed to be a left shoulder cramp, but that seems to have been precautionary and he’s not expected to miss any time.
Insider Peter Gammons recently reported Houston’s interest in Stroman two years ago, and it’s easy to see them circling back now.
The Astros two years ago did almost as much work on Marcus Stroman as a trade target as Justin Verlander.. They saw much they liked. With Corbin Martin and Forrest Whitley injured, he makes sense, especially with a year left before free agency
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) June 27, 2019
Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle addressed the Astros-Stroman fit in light of Gammons’ report, pointing to the right-hander’s sinker-cutter profile not fitting the elevated four-seam fastball-curveball model the team generally favors. But, as Rome added, Wade Miley does not fit that fastball-curveball profile either.
Stroman is under team control in 2020 before he can hit free agency, which only bolsters his value as a trade chip for Toronto. He has embraced the idea of pitching in a big market for a contending team, which was easily tied to the Yankees since he’s a Long Island native. But the Astros seem to be firmly in the mix too, and Stroman’s ground ball-heavy profile should allow him to function well in hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park without an elite strikeout rate.