METS MAKE A SPLASH WITH STROMAN
The New York Mets acquired pitcher Marcus Stroman and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays for pitchers Simeon Woods-Richardson and Anthony Kay.
What does it give the New York Mets
This is a very interesting trade, since the Mets are currently not contending and are expected to trade starting pitchers such as Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler before the July 31 deadline. However, they decided to help replace them with Stroman, a 28-year-old New York area native who will not become a free agent until the end of the 2020 campaign. The Mets likely view Stroman as a big part of their retooling plan. Toronto also threw in some cash to help even out this trade from a financial standpoint, which is always a concern these days for the Mets.
What does it give the Toronto Blue Jays
In Woods-Richardson and Kay, the Blue Jays land two quality pitching prospects (which has been their focus throughout this season, since Toronto boasts several quality young hitters already in MLB and a few more on the way. However, they do lack the quality pitching prospects to match). Kay is more advanced but Woods-Richardson could become the key player in this deal if he fully develops his arsenal. With Toronto completely rebuilding, it made sense to move Stroman out for future arms. Will Aaron Sanchez be the next pitcher to be shipped out by the Blue Jays?
Fantasy impact
The trade to acquire Stroman by the Mets should not hurt Stroman's fantasy stock, but in the short term it may not greatly help either. Still, he is a player to hold onto in most leagues and a potential fantasy trade target as well. In AL-only fantasy leagues, he obviously loses all value. As for Woods-Richardson and Kay, both pitchers should now be fully keeper-worthy. Woods-Richardson is the better long-range stash but Kay might be able to help fantasy rosters as early as 2020. Keep an eye on him.
