Report: Estrada deal to be around two years, $26 million if completed

A little update on the Marco Estrada contract front, with Joel Sherman now reporting that the potential deal would be two years and $26 million if completed. Despite being a moderately steep price to pay for the righty, it's not a huge overpay when you consider the outrageous prices that some free agent pitchers go for. Extending the qualifying offer to the former Brewers pitcher certainly helped the Jays retain his services for a lower price.

Here's the tweet:

Hear if finalized Estrada will be 2-year at about $26M. #Bluejays

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 13, 2015

You'd have to think the deal is getting close to being done by this point and will be the first move of the post-Anthopoulos era. There's a chance that the contract also features an option tacked on for the third year, but that remains to be seen.

With the way the payroll is currently set up, it also wouldn't be much of a surprise if the contract is backloaded. Potentially something like $12 million in 2016 and $14 million in 2017.

Personally I think the deal is fine. Nothing more and nothing less. It's hard to find fair value with free agent pitchers and this is as close as the Blue Jays will probably get to it. If Estrada regresses in the next two seasons then the deal will look regrettable but far from a terrible crime against humanity.

The temperature of the hot stove continues to rise...