With the Texas Rangers ready to both buy and sell assets this summer, Toronto Blue Jays Ace Marcus Stroman presents the club with an intriguing, realistic option without hurting their prospect pool.

Controllable starters are all the rage today, right? Whether your GM is buying or selling, these acquisitions always scream ideal on paper. After all, who wouldn’t want a young, promising pitcher who’s years away from a sizable payday? The Texas Rangers are no different.

With Jon Daniels and the organization reported to be evaluating the controllable pitching market, surely they didn’t do too much research before stumbling upon Marcus Stroman’s name.

The 28-year-old who’s frontlining Toronto’s rotation certainly fits the description. The 2021 Free Agent has cruised to a 3.23 ERA over 94.2 IP in a lost season where the Blue Jays find themselves with an abysmal 27-47 record. By all means, Marcus Stroman has been a bright spot on a failing squad.

With the pitcher himself even acknowledging an impending uncertainty in Toronto, there’s no doubt Stroman will have packed his bags by the 2019 trade deadline. It only seems to be a matter of where, now – and the Texas Rangers offer the Blue Jays a unique opportunity that most competitors cannot.

Nomar Mazara.

Before you throw me to the wolves, give me a chance here. I know this reality would be painful. Let it be known that I am not in favor of sending the Big Chill anywhere else unless the package was truly perfect.

A deal involving Marcus Stroman just might be. For both clubs.

It’s no secret the Texas Rangers need starting pitching, and need it fast. Other than the sensational Mike Minor and surprisingly effective Lance Lynn, the starting rotation is plagued by question marks. There’s room for a developing Ariel Jurado and Adrian Sampson, but that 5th spot seems to be a revolving door of mediocrity. Even with Joe Palumbo looking to get a few starts with the big club, it’s clear the Rangers cannot scrape an through an entire season with this depleted roster.

Marcus Stroman can be an added measure of consistently that is desperately needed. The sinker-heavy pitcher produces both an absurd 58% ground ball rate on balls in play and a 0.86 HR/9 – both measures bode extremely well for a pitcher taking the mound at Globe Life Park. Stroman carries a proven track record for keeping the ball on the ground, and his 2019 season has proven no different – his sinker currently drops further than any other RHP in baseball.

Needless to say, Chris Woodward and the Texas Rangers would welcome his long-term services.

So we found a pitcher we like. Easy enough, but the magic of a front office lies in its ability to offer up a creative package too enticing to refute. This is what makes Nomar Mazara so unique to this scenario.

Looking at the Blue Jays official Depth Chart, Toronto is suffering from a lack of quality outfielders. Currently manned by the swing-and-miss powerhouse Randal Grichuk, RF looks to have plenty of room for upgrade.

Replacing Grichuk with an up-and-coming star like Mazara offers a rebuilding team with a cornerstone piece to add to the middle of their lineup for years to come. Only 24, the Big Chill offers tremendous upside and longevity for a squad looking to re-energize their fans.

It’s worth noting that the Texas Rangers also are crunched in an OF logjam: Joey Gallo, Delino Deshields, Danny Santana, Nomar Mazara, Hunter Pence, Willie Calhoun, and Shin-Soo-Choo cannot all receive consistent playing time like they should. Jon Daniels has an interesting opportunity here to trade away a star for another at a position of dire need and not hurt their organizational depth or offensive production.

Of course, a budding corner fielder like Mazara would command much more than only Stroman to make this blockbuster work. The Big Chill is 4 years younger than Toronto’s Ace with team control through 2022 – there’s undeniably more value clinging to the outfielder’s name.

This is where RHP Adam Kloffenstein comes to play. The Toronto Blue Jays #6 Prospect according to MLB Pipeline, the 2018 3rd round pick offers a plus fastball with heavy sink, a plus slider with sharp bite, and a plus changeup with considerable tumble. A 6’5, 240 lb monster, Kloffenstein also earns good grades for his durability, athleticism, and competitiveness.

Adding a top prospect to a package with Marcus Stroman just may be enough for the Texas Rangers to pull the trigger on sending away a beloved fan-favorite in Nomar Mazara. This trade would give Texas a second ace in the rotation, another top pitching prospect, and more opportunities to feature Willie Calhoun in their everyday lineup.

This trade also gives Toronto a budding star to pair with Vlad Jr. for years to come.

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