Blue Jays' depressing Corbin Burnes alternative just got a bit more palatable

So, it's been a pretty rough offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays. After a delusional pursuit of Juan Soto which inevitably came up short, the Blue Jays were supposed to pivot to the top of the pitching market. Corbin Burnes. Max Fried. Maybe both. Whatever the case, Toronto was going to leave no stone unturned in its effort to catch New York atop the AL East.

At least, that's what we were led to believe. Of course, in reality, the Blue Jays were destined to come up short on all fronts. Burnes went to Arizona for $210 million. Fried? He's in New York, of all places, on a hearty $218 million contract. The Blue Jays' pitching staff continues to toil in mediocrity as appealing names fly off the board.

There's only so much time left for Ross Atkins to put a contender around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. We are reaching desperation territory, which is never good. That is when mistakes are made. Is a pricey nine-figure deal for Alex Bregman really the answer? Ya know, probably not. The Blue Jays need to tread carefully without losing their sense of urgency, though, as Guerrero's contract is a ticking time bomb.

Toronto finally got a significant contract over the finish line on Friday, inking Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal (which was only possible because the Orioles said "no thanks" after his physical, so Toronto didn't even win the bidding war). Their next move could be a trade.

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Blue Jays can take flier on Yankees outcast Marcus Stroman at a discount

The New York Yankees are willing to pay down a portion of Marcus Stroman's remaining $18 million salary, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. That should increase the market's interest in Stroman, who was an All-Star in 2023 before spending 2024 on the struggle bus.

Stroman, 33, is a potentially impactful buy-low candidate for the Blue Jays, who have made it clear they have money to burn. His salary is rather exorbitant, but if the Yankees shave a healthy chunk off the top, it's much easier to justify the investment. New York won't demand much in return; this is a clear salary dump effort for the Yankees, who'd prefer to spend that money on an infielder.

Last season was pretty brutal for Stroman, who managed 30 appearances (29 starts, one save) and 154.2 innings. He struck out 113 and posted a disappointing 4.31 ERA, eventually earning a one-way ticket to the bench once the playoffs arrived.

An unassuming but extremely fiery 5-foot-7 righty, Stroman has never been the most overtly dominant pitcher. He doesn't rack up K's or overwhelm hitters with velocity. He's much more of a finesse pitcher, focused on coaxing groundballs and setting up his defense. The Yankees' patchwork infield (and outfield) always made Stroman a suspect fit. The Blue Jays should present a slightly better environment for Stroman to pitch in, with a ballpark that yields fewer home runs and a more competent defense at his back.

It's fair to wonder how much Stroman has left in the tank, but if he's not coming off an All-Star season and making a full $18 million, expectations should be properly tempered. The Blue Jays need to add something to the starting rotation. Stroman has a higher ceiling than what we all witnessed in New York a season ago. He isn't the most inspiring option for Blue Jays fans, to be sure, but he's probably better than nothing.

Ross Atkins needs to do his due diligence, at the very least. Stroman spent the first four years of his career in Toronto, so there's familiarity with the organization, ballpark and even some personnel.