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Report: Blue Jays, Estrada nearing contract extension

Brad Rempel / USA TODAY Sports

Marco Estrada appears to be staying north of the border.

The pending free-agent pitcher is reportedly nearing an agreement on a contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays, a source told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Terms of the potential agreement are not yet known, but Morosi reports that the deal is expected to include one guaranteed season.

After a rough start to his 2017 season, Estrada has morphed into one of the Blue Jays' best starters during this otherwise disappointing campaign. Over his last 10 outings the 34-year-old owns a 3.75 ERA while striking out 48 and holding opponents to a .227 average.

He's also proven quite valuable to the Blue Jays in a season that's seen them suffer a long list of injuries to their pitching staff. Estrada and Marcus Stroman are the only Blue Jays starters to have pitched more than 140 innings this year, and his 31 starts are tied for the major-league lead.

The 34-year-old was acquired by the Blue Jays from Milwaukee in the winter of 2014, following a season that saw him allow the most homers in baseball. But in Toronto he's morphed into one of the league's most dependable starters and was one of the key players in the Blue Jays' consecutive trips to the ALCS.

Armed with a devastating changeup, Estrada has posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.175 WHIP over his three seasons in Toronto. He's also come up big in the playoffs, owning a 2.16 ERA in six October starts during the last two years.

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