Details have emerged that Marcus Stroman has been traded from the Blue Jays to the Mets. While reports recently suggested the Mets were looking at this possibility, most thought it would be hard without involving a third team and Noah Syndergaard.
However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets didn’t exactly give up the treasure trove of prospects many expected to acquire the sought after starting pitcher.
#BlueJays getting Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson for Stroman, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2019
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For those keeping track at home, Kay was the Mets’ No. 4 prospect and is in Triple-A. Across Double-A and Triple-A this year, he has a combined record of 8-6 with a 3.13 ERA. However, he’s struggled in Triple-A, going 1-3 with a 6.61 ERA across seven starts.
Woods-Richardson was No. 6 in the Mets’ system and is in Class-A Advanced where he carries a 3-8 record with a 4.25 ERA.
Considering their plethora of top-level pitching prospects, the Braves missed the train on Stroman. Any two of Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller or Kolby Allard would have surpassed what the Mets gave up.
We’re not privy to discussions between GMs. But there are many Braves’ fans (and other team’s fans) that are wondering why the Braves did not pull the trigger on a trade for Stroman after seeing the kind of return he netted.
Could the Braves be a team the Blue Jays refuse to deal with since Alex Anthopoulos is the team’s GM? After Anthopoulos famously rejected an extension from the team in 2015, I could see the Jays refusing to deal with him.
Now, the Braves must turn their focus to other players. Syndergaard appears to still be in play, but will the Mets trade within the division, and at what cost? This seems less likely considering the Mets are charging towards competing in 2020. Aside from Syndergaard, there isn’t too much left out there on the market. Mike Minor and Matthew Boyd are two other arms that could be moved before the July 31st deadline, and the Braves have been linked to both.
Several reports suggest Atlanta’s priority is on finding relief help over starting pitching, but it would be ideal to fill both roles, especially considering some shakiness in the rotation.
Although he had an excellent first start back from the IL, Kevin Gausman remains a question mark after Sunday’s rough outing. Julio Teheran was fantastic against the Royals but has been wildly inconsistent for years. Max Fried looks to have returned to form, but his inexperience leads to questions when it comes playoff time.
Then again, Anthopoulos could be happy with the rotation.
So many questions are left on the table. Hopefully, those will be answered by Wednesday’s Trade Deadline.
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