Marcus Stroman could be the next odd man out in the Yankees’ rotation after the club signed Max Fried to an eight-year deal.
The New York Yankees currently have more starting pitchers than available rotation spots, but that may not be the case by the time spring training begins.
New York’s crowded rotation features 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, two-time All-Star Max Fried, and two-time All-Star Carlos Rodón on long-term deals. Meanwhile, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, former first-rounder Clarke Schmidt, and another two-time All-Star, Marcus Stroman, are candidates for the final two spots.
During Thursday’s episode of the Baseball Insiders podcast, FanSided reporter Robert Murray suggested that Stroman is likely to be the odd man out in that group.
“A Marcus Stroman trade would appear more likely than not,” Murray said shortly after the eight-minute mark on YouTube. Co-host Adam Weinrib quipped that it was too bad Stroman made “no sense” for the Chicago Cubs when they agreed to trade Cody Bellinger to the Bronx in a salary dump. Stroman previously spent two seasons with Chicago, where he was an All-Star in 2023.
Stroman, 33, is entering the second year of a two-year, $37 million contract he signed with the Yankees last offseason. He is set to earn $18.3 million in 2025 and has a vesting option for the same amount in 2026, which will only trigger if he logs 140 innings this upcoming season.
The 5-foot-7 right-hander went 10-8 with a 4.07 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and a staff-low 6.7 K/9 rate over 28 starts before losing his rotation spot to left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. in September. Cortes, too, was affected by New York’s pitching surplus, as he was recently traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for star closer Devin Williams.
Stroman’s performance declined after the All-Star break, posting a 3-4 record with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts before moving to the bullpen on September 13, compared to a 7-4 record and 3.51 ERA in 19 starts prior to the break.
The longtime starter earned a three-inning save in an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on September 17 in his only bullpen appearance. He made one final unexpected start against the Baltimore Orioles on September 25 after Cortes was placed on the injured list with a left elbow flexor strain that same day. In that outing, Stroman allowed six runs on 10 hits in 3.1 innings.
Stroman finished the regular season with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 innings. Despite not appearing in October, the Yankees kept him on the postseason roster throughout their run to the World Series.
The Yankees could do the two-time All-Star a favor by trading him to a team where he has a clearer path to starting every five days, rather than relegating him to a swingman role in New York. Stroman features a seven-pitch mix, with his curveball, cutter, and splitter being his most effective offerings, according to Statcast’s run value. While his strikeout rate dropped to 16.7% in 2024, he posted a 49.9% groundball rate, ranking in the 84th percentile.
Trading Stroman would also free up significant payroll space, potentially giving the Yankees more flexibility to spend in free agency. With needs at first base and second base (unless Jazz Chisholm Jr. moves from third base), the Yankees could look to bolster their infield depth or even target bullpen help in a potential deal.
