Reports: Mets Trade for Marcus Stroman

In something of a surprise move, multiple reports say the Mets acquired starting pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays Sunday night. They will reportedly send Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to Toronto.

Stroman is a decent pitcher. He was an All-Star this season, now sporting a 2.96 ERA. His record, though, is a deGrom-like 6-11. The five-foot, nine-inch (or shorter!) Long Island native will not blow anyone away, though — he topped out at 166 strikeouts in 2016. Let’s see how he does with the Mets porous defense behind him. He has another year of control before he hits free agency.

Kay and Woods Richardson were two of the top Mets pitching prospects. Kay was a first round pick in 2016 and was great in Double-A this year, but struggled in his promotion to Triple-A. He is already 24 years old. Woods Richardson was second round pick last year. The 18-year-old is currently in A-ball and can strike people out — he has 123 strikeouts in 95.2 minor league innings.

What does this all mean? Does it mean Noah Syndergaard is a goner? Not necessarily. Stroman could be taking Zack Wheeler’s and/or Jason Vargas’s place in the rotation, if/when they are traded. And the Mets have now a piece for their rotation in 2020.

More moves are sure to be coming, so stay tuned.