The 2017 season has been an overwhelming disappointment for the Toronto Blue Jays, who come into Wednesday in last place in the AL East at 71-80. That's after back-to-back trips to the ALCS and despite breakout seasons from Justin Smoak and Marcus Stroman.

With only 11 games to go in their regular season, the Blue Jays have already started looking ahead to the offseason, and on Tuesday they handled one pretty important piece of business. The team has signed right-hander Marco Estrada to a one-year contract extension that MLB.com's Jon Morosi reports is worth $13 million.

Estrada, 34, has been a mainstay in Toronto's rotation since coming over from the Brewers in a trade for Adam Lind during the 2014-15 offseason. He broke out by going 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA (131 ERA+) in 181 innings spread across 28 starts and six relief appearances in 2015, then followed it up with a 3.48 ERA (122 ERA+) in 176 innings in 2016.

The 2017 season hasn't gone quite as well for Estrada, who is 9-8 with a 4.84 ERA (95 ERA+) through 31 starts and 176 2/3 innings. The biggest difference between 2015-16 Estrada and 2017 Estrada? Plain old hits allowed. He led the AL with 6.7 H/9 in 2015 and again with 6.8 H/9 in 2016. This year it's at 8.9 H/9. Otherwise his strikeout, walk, and home run rates are right in line with 2015-16.

It's worth noting Estrada, who is quite unique because he throws in the upper-80s and succeeds by getting a lot of pop-ups with a dead fish changeup, has pitched much better down the stretch. He was sitting on a 5.52 ERA with a .270/.340/.492 opponent's batting line on July 21. In 11 starts since, he has a 3.74 ERA and a .223/.282/.398 opponent's batting line.

MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins
Marco Estrada is returning to the Blue Jays for 2018. USATSI

Had the Blue Jays not signed Estrada to an extension, he would've undoubtedly been in demand this offseason. He was claimed on trade waivers in August (the Blue Jays pulled him back, obviously) so we know at least one team is interested. Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta will be the top starters on the free-agent market this winter. Estrada would've been a second-tier target for many teams who can't afford Darvish or Arrieta.

There is value in familiarity and Estrada is now set to join Stroman, J.A. Happ, and a hopefully healthy Aaron Sanchez in Toronto's rotation next season. Sanchez has been beset by blisters and fingernail issues all year. The Blue Jays still need to find a fifth starter -- they've used 14 different starters in 2017 -- but at least now they know their front four are in place.