We’ve already seen the Chicago Cubs linked to starters Sonny Gray and Justin Verlander but now a new name has surfaced.
The Cubs are one of a few teams that are interested in Toronto Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman according to reports.
Baseball Insider Buster Olney appeared on Naylor and Landsberg of TSN’s 1050 in Toronto and spoke on Stroman.
Our @Buster_ESPN tells @NaylorLandsberg that Shapiro/Atkins are prepared to make a "hard right-hand turn into retooling or rebuilding"
— David William Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) July 4, 2017
The Blue Jays are off to a poor 39-45 start and entered play on July 6 9.5 games back in the AL East. Despite being just 5 back in the Wild Card, the Blue Jays will likely sell at the deadline.
Stroman would be the hot name in any trade discussions and would improve any team’s rotation.
Olney mentioned that there are a few teams interested in Stroman including the Cubs, New York Yankees and Houston Astros. A trade for Stroman would likely include a top prospect, so the Cubs might be hesitant to include someone like Ian Happ or Eloy Jimenez.
The 26-year-old Stroman is 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 17 games started for the Blue Jays in 2017.