Marcus Stroman Trade Rumors: Braves Among Teams Scouting Blue Jays SP

Marcus Stroman might have made his final start for the Toronto Blue Jays with plenty of trade interest around the league.

According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, the Atlanta Braves were among the many teams scouting the pitcher Friday against the Detroit Tigers, when he threw seven shutout innings in a win.

With demand high, the Blue Jays are seeking an "Archer-like package of prospects," per O'Brien, based on what the Tampa Bay Rays received for Chris Archer when he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates last year.

Tampa Bay received Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz in exchange for Archer last July, all of whom were considered high-level prospects. The first two were already major league-ready, while Meadows was named to the All-Star team in 2019.

Archer only had a 4.31 ERA at the time of the trade, although he also has a team-friendly contract that could keep him under team control through 2021.

Stroman, who can't be a free agent until after the 2020 season, is having an even better year with a 3.06 ERA in 20 starts. His 6-10 record isn't too impressive, but you can blame the Blue Jays with their 38-62 overall record.

This will likely motivate Toronto to make a move before the deadline, and the bidding war could be intense with interest clearly high.

An Atlanta trade could make sense with the squad looking to contend for a World Series title. The team entered Sunday with a 59-41 record, second-best in the National League and 5.5 games ahead of the Washington Nationals in the NL East.

However, pitching depth has been a question mark all season behind Mike Soroka and Julio Teheran. Dallas Keuchel has provided another weapon in the rotation, but adding Stroman could solidify the unit heading into the stretch run of the season.